How do I copy videos FROM my PC TO my TiVo????
I see plenty of ways to copy video the other way, including TiVo's own TivoToGo, but what I'd like to do is copy videos I have on my computer (in various formats) TO the TiVo. Is this possible? [more inside]posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 10:53 PM PST - 6 comments

Michael Wex, in his Born to Kvetch, mentions a book called Toldot Yeshua (or possibly Toldos Yeshua), a medieval Yiddish manuscript that proposes that Jesus was a parlor trick artist, Mary an unclean woman and that Peter was a devout Jew that diverted Christianity out of Judaism (or something along those lines). Now, I'd quite like to learn more, ideally reading the book myself. Do any of you have any more info on it? Does there exist an English translation? posted by Kattullus at 7:24 PM PST - 8 comments

I have a friend (seriously) who has serious problems with social anxiety, to the point she is sometimes paralyzed with fear or depression. She cannot hold a job because of it, and therefore has no insurance for medical attention - what can she do? [more inside]posted by twiggy at 7:21 PM PST - 15 comments

What's a great April Fool's Day prank my 5-year-old daughter and I can play on her Mom (my wife) tomorrow? Nothing too devious or disturbing, please. [more inside]posted by Rock Steady at 4:15 PM PST - 30 comments

1972 Topps baseball cards - The "psychodelic" set. I'm looking for a good graphic of the groovy art on the wrapper. It's kind of a Peter Max-ish portrait of a ball player holding a baseball. Any help? posted by jsteward at 4:00 PM PST - 5 comments

I am looking for examples of typographical layouts, with lots of random or not so random words. I've tried google, but I'm not sure what to search for. [more inside]posted by inthe80s at 1:40 PM PST - 11 comments

Any suggestions for places to stay in Cinque Terre and Rome for honeymooners on a budget? Can afford more than a hostel, but not more than about 60 euro a night. posted by abee at 12:58 PM PST - 13 comments

How can I set up a simple system that allows a non-html knowing website owner to change easily change the displayed status of team members on the site? [more inside]posted by davebush at 12:18 PM PST - 7 comments

I've been trying to find an online store that will sell me a single (or a small number) jumper pin for a hard drive. I'm having trouble finding a store that sells them posted by Cookie Monster at 12:17 PM PST - 12 comments

I would like to build and host a del.icio.us clone on my Mac (Intel iMac running Tiger). It need not be accessible outside of my machine, although if you can advise me how to do that while still keeping my machine secure, that would be a very nice plus. I am able to build simple command-line apps in Unix and puzzle some stuff out, but I am very much not a l33t hax00r. Can anyone walk me through the process very simple step by very simple step? [more inside]posted by WCityMike at 11:46 AM PST - 8 comments

ok, its a very very commonly heard 'circus' song, often used in other shows (tv shows etc) for 'comic effect'; within the circus context I think you most often hear it when the jugglers or other funny acrobats come out and do silly things. I'll 'hum' a few bars for you... [more inside]posted by jak68 at 11:04 AM PST - 16 comments

My 3 year old is invited to a birthday party and the invitation specifies "no gifts." What is the ettiquette here? It is at a party place that is pretty expensive to rent out and pizza will be provided, so the host is spending a lot of money. It seems wrong not to bring a gift. posted by stockaholic at 10:42 AM PST - 32 comments

Recommend me some nice melancholic instrumental music with sparse arrangements. Maybe classical music (?), of which I know very little, but I'm thinking specifically of "Music For Egon Schiele" by Rachel's. [more inside]posted by p3t3 at 8:07 AM PST - 41 comments

I know how to create html forms (very basic ones), but, without using mailto: I don't know how to have the data the user submits emailed to me. [more inside]posted by misanthropicsarah at 8:02 AM PST - 7 comments

How can I get four different television channels playing on a large plasma or LCD display at once? I'm guessing that cable inputs would need to go to a PC, and then piped to the TV through DVI, but beyond that (hardware, software) I am a little stumped. Anyone have any suggestions? posted by GriffX at 8:00 AM PST - 7 comments

My father, who was a self-employed accountant with a staff of zero, passed away on Monday in the middle of tax season. His clients, mostly doctors with small to medium sized practices, are people whose finances he's been managing for decades and they were friends to him as well. How can we, my family, ease their transition to another person to handle their taxes? [more inside]posted by eighth_excerpt at 7:12 AM PST - 10 comments

I'm going to interview a couple sysadmin candidates in the near future. What are some questions that one should ask a sysadmin candidate that are Solaris specific? Please let me know what the correct answer should be, too. I've found that "How would you use newfs?" is a good one. Help me think of others! posted by drstein at 7:05 AM PST - 6 comments

Yesterday I got fired from a job I hate, but I'm in the middle of applying for a mortgage and I'm worried this will jeopardize my chances of getting approved. I need to know what I should tell the mortgage broker, if anything, about this whole situation. [more inside]posted by elisabeth r at 6:47 AM PST - 11 comments

Recently I've run out of beautiful, interesting movies I enjoy watching. Over the last few months I ended up watching some predictable romantic comedies I really hate. So what deep meaningful movies would you recommend? Which movies have made you feel, think or cry? Maybe, some of these Top 100 Overlooked Films of the 1990s? posted by volandmast at 6:41 AM PST - 51 comments

Tomorrow me, my girlfriend, and her dad are going tp pick up my girlfriends new car. She hasnt passed her test yet, so i'll be driving it back. Ive been driving for 6 years, never had an accident, and have fully comp insurance. Can I legally drive it? [more inside]posted by lemonfridge at 3:18 AM PST - 5 comments

Five minutes ago, I heard about an interview that will take place tonight. Does anyone know anything about the firm IQPC, or the conference industry, that could help me get this job, and get to New York? [more inside]posted by godawful at 2:55 AM PST - 9 comments

I've transfered some mp3s from one hard drive (windows) to another (Linspire), and dang it, the titles are all messed up ("09thel~1", "lostbo~3", etc). Can I redo the transfer or do I have to fix all brazillion titles manually (unpossible)? Thanks. posted by NorthernSky at 2:15 AM PST - 9 comments

I’m working on a PHP/MySQL app and would like to ensure my security is up to scratch – need tips on authentication, globals and input sanitization. [more inside]posted by MetaMonkey at 11:36 PM PST - 28 comments

OS X: I'm looking at outliners/organizers for the Mac, and can't seem to find just what I need. I'd like a virtual box of index cards that I can use to make an outline/lesson plan. Here is the ideal way that it would work: [more inside]posted by al_fresco at 10:27 PM PST - 11 comments

Nurse Filter: Can someone explain some basic ER stuff to an actor about to audition for a nurse part? I want my physical actions to be realistic. [more inside]posted by typewriter at 7:37 PM PST - 7 comments

In search of eco-friendly patio furniture. We'd like to get a nice table and four chairs for the pending badass wooden deck in the backyard. Budget would be somewhere in the vicinity of $150-$250. Are we delusional? posted by Ufez Jones at 6:26 PM PST - 13 comments

I add appointments to my calendar at work (desktop) and home (laptop) but miss appointments because I am at the wrong computer or away from both. Help me stay synchronized. [more inside]posted by special-k at 5:41 PM PST - 18 comments

It's one thing to stop smoking, or stop biting your nails, or stop drinking, altogether -- what I want to know is, why is it sometimes so difficult to stop doing a habitual activity even for a few moments, while trying really hard? [more inside]posted by davejay at 5:32 PM PST - 12 comments

Seeking some specific work-out music. The type or vintage is unimportant; what I need is songs which exactly match my running tempo. Over the years, I've filled four tapes with these matches, but I'm always seeking more. [more inside]posted by Rash at 4:18 PM PST - 11 comments

It seems like almost every time i open my mailbox i get this advertising mailer in there. How on earth do i go about complaining and get this crap to stop! I assume there are laws like there are spam these days, if you say "unsubscribe" they have to obey?
Googling for it only came up with the link i pasted above and looking on the Kansas City Star website was no help either. Any advice? posted by joshgray at 3:49 PM PST - 19 comments

LongshotFilter: Does anyone have a room going in a shared house in Sheffield, UK? Or, failing that, any advice for moving in with people I don't know in a city I've visited less than 5 times? [more inside]posted by Captain Najork at 2:30 PM PST - 4 comments

My girlfriend did some casual bar work and now the landlord is dodging paying her. There is no complaint on her work but she didn't get anything in writing. How can she get the money due to her? [more inside]posted by sixball at 2:26 PM PST - 6 comments

I was doing some face gardening this morning - a Sisyphean task to try and avoid the appellation 'strawberry nose'. I got to wondering, how does a plucked hair manage to grow back? posted by tellurian at 1:59 PM PST - 4 comments

My apologies for this vague description--I used to work in a bookstore where I'd pick up and browse through a number of books. One book included a letter written to God by a Jewish man (maybe a rabbi?) imprisoned during the Holocaust. Part of the letter involved him saying, essentially, "no matter what you do to me, God, or what suffering you send, you can't make me stop loving you. That is the form my free will takes." Does anyone know the author or title? posted by piers at 12:53 PM PST - 4 comments

I've noticed that libraries often put a rigid, clear plastic coating on the covers of paperback books. The coating makes the book covers more sturdy and durable. What is that coating, and is it available to retail consumers? posted by jayder at 12:45 PM PST - 13 comments

Where can I find a lot of information about the travel and resort industry with an eye to arranging a charter from Yellowknife (Northern Canada) to western Jamaica? [more inside]posted by ykjay at 12:04 PM PST - 2 comments

Did you play first person shooters in the early 90s? Help me figure out the name of this obscure and relatively mediocre WWII game based on the incredibly limited amount of information I remember about it! [more inside]posted by hypocritical ross at 11:07 AM PST - 14 comments

I have a great idea for a meme with assorted merchandise involving a deceased musician and his likeness. How do I pitch this to the appropiate person so that I might profit legitimately and what are the typical terms of such an arrangement? posted by keswick at 10:56 AM PST - 3 comments

Maybe I have a coupleproblems. The first one probably stems from the second. Insurance won't cover therapy or medication. Is there any place in Baltimore, MD that offers free or very low-cost assistance? Thank you. posted by anonymous at 10:55 AM PST - 9 comments

Why do (most?) American gas stations use physical, numerical signage that require manual adjustment when prices change? Wouldn't electronic signage make life easier and maybe more profitable? Is there some regulation that requires non-electronic signage? posted by punkfloyd at 10:14 AM PST - 29 comments

Credit Card Filter: I know there has been plenty, but this is a bit different, I searched and could not find anything related. I am beginning to work for a company who let's me use my own credit card for expenses. Problem is I do not have a credit card, I have a debit card. My credit isn't that hot. Basically, I am looking for a credit card that is easy to get and that I can get miles on. Remember my credit is whatever. posted by Gabe014 at 9:52 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm working on a competition presentation for my student organization. The presentation is in the form of a video (made in Adobe AfterEffects) but we may also want to include PowerPoint slides. What's a good way to mix video and PowerPoint without fear of hiccups? [more inside]posted by yevge at 8:43 AM PST - 4 comments

WikiFilter: I need a wiki that will allow Password protected forums, groups or users, & file attachments. I also need the app to be free. Anyone know of one? posted by flipmiester99 at 8:18 AM PST - 8 comments

What percentage of my take-home pay should go to someone who does my laundry and cleans my house twice a week? All sorts of complexity and intrigue inside. [more inside]posted by mdonley at 7:13 AM PST - 20 comments

A secret cabal of family members is having a rather big party this summer on the shores of Lake Huron. My mission: arrive in style a la James Bond. I've checked out their security, and although strong on three sides, they haven't guarded the lake. Fools. I would like to arrive via the lake. However, I'm having a tough time with what to wear. Preferably, I'd like to slip out of my wetsuit into a crisp, wrinkle free tuxedo.
Is this possible? posted by maxpower at 6:39 AM PST - 93 comments

Posting for a friend: What are the best newsgroups and discussion boards for the families and caretakers of profoundly learning disabled (also known as profoundly retarded) people? [more inside]posted by By The Grace of God at 5:18 AM PST - 2 comments

March 29

IndyFilter: I am going to be in Indianapolis for an interview towards the end of next week. I will be in town for two evenings, and I am looking for things to do. Do you have any suggestions for places to visit, pubs to drink at, and restaurants that serve great Japanese, burritos, or pizza? I am 21 years old so I'm looking for places that draw a younger crowd, ideally young professionals. I've loved my time in college, but I am about ready to leave the college crowd behind. I am not a huge fan of clubbing, so if you can steer away from any of those in your recommendation, that would be appreciated. [more inside]posted by jab at 11:22 PM PST - 8 comments

Probably easy question about PHP and unicode (UTF-8) and RegEx. I'm trying to modify a php webcalendar (VTcalendar) to allow Japanese text in calendar postings. I've found all the variables to get the UTF-8 headers, and so japanese text manually inserted into pages appears fine. But, there's an input validation thingy I don't know how to modify. (short snippet inside) [more inside]posted by planetkyoto at 10:19 PM PST - 4 comments

I have been using reblog to combine two feeds (for a blog and a forum) which I then publish through Feedburner. What I want to do is have the blog part of my feed update normally (i.e. individual posts) and the forum part of my feed compiled into a daily link list (which itself is published as if it were ONE feed post each day)... What ways exist for me to do this? [more inside]posted by 0bvious at 9:49 PM PST - 1 comment

Are there any reasonable scientific explanations for the fact that the width of the moon as viewed from the surface of the Earth is precisely the right width to match the apparent width of the sun, and give us total eclipses? It does seem spectacularly unlikely that it turned out that way by mere chance. posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:34 PM PST - 54 comments

In a few academic papers I've seen, instead of the usual ACM/IEEE copyright blurb, it just says "Copyright held by the author". What's the significance of this? Can anyone just replace the ACM copyright with their own? Does it affect the paper's acceptance rate? Does the conference or journal approve of this? posted by lpctstr; at 4:27 PM PST - 8 comments

I’m looking for suggestions on what to plant as a groundcover in our backyard. I live in Los Angeles, California and am searching for the ideal ground cover which would:
- require little water
- not require super drainage (we have a fair amount of clay in our soil)
- thrive in a sunny area
- handle occasional foot traffic
- grow moderately quickly
- be evergreen
- not be poisonous to kids
The real kicker on the ideal groundcover would be cost—if we could plant it by seed that would be superb. Am I asking for too much? Should I bite the cost and buy thyme plugs? posted by krudiger at 3:45 PM PST - 7 comments

Mac Mini (Dual Core Intel version) & Media Art Installation: I'm working with a friend to develop a system that will allow not only for playback of audio/visual content, but also for recording it. I think a Mini is a good way to go, but would like some advice. [more inside]posted by aladfar at 3:06 PM PST - 4 comments

Someone told me that if you use your health insurance to cover mental health treatment (even if it's just therapy), it may affect your ability to get disability or life insurance in the future - does anyone know if this is true? posted by echo0720 at 2:49 PM PST - 13 comments

When someone is an extreme fan of a particular group or culture, is it "politically correct" to be so, and how do the people being so admired feel about their admirer? [more inside]posted by Rubber Soul at 2:41 PM PST - 29 comments

My computer crashed, the HD was reformatted and now when I try to use the following fonts, there gone. I use windows EX, MS office and want to use the following fonts in Photoshop CS. I would like to reinstall the following fonts; Amaze, Bangle, Bickley, Broadway, Stencil, Stop, Surfer, Wide latin, MS gothic. I don't want to pay too much, if possible -- I had the above fonts before the crash. Thanks in advance for any advice... posted by orlin at 2:21 PM PST - 11 comments

Is there any sort of storage system for Game Boy/Game Boy Advance games? I can use a DVD rack to hold just about any other type of game, but my Game Boy games have been relegated to an old wooden box I have. [more inside]posted by BiffSlamkovich at 2:20 PM PST - 7 comments

I want a bluetooth speaker phone for my new Blackberry 7290 for use in my car. I found lots of articles talking about new cars that have bluetooth, but can anyone recommend a device that I can purchase for the car I have already? I need a new stereo, so one that requires me to replace my radio isn't a deal breaker. [more inside]posted by about_time at 1:49 PM PST - 4 comments

I have terrible looking teeth and I'd like to fix them and finally have a nice white straight smile for the first time in my life. After doing research, it seems my options are braces (ugh, I'd be one of those dorky 35 year olds with braces), veneers, and caps (are there any other options?). What I'm curious about is the ballpark costs, benefits, and drawbacks of veneers and caps. All info online seems to be tainted by cosmetic dentists looking to make a buck. [more inside]posted by anonymous at 1:31 PM PST - 21 comments

Waterfilter (heh) — so, I have a couple of water-related questions born of a drunken debate among friends. First: what is the difference between a coast, a beach, and a shore? Second: is Puget Sound part of the Pacific Ocean, an entirely separate body, or some freakish combination of the two? Finally: when Seattleites go down to the Sound, are they going to the coast, the beach, the shore, or something else? [more inside]posted by jdroth at 1:15 PM PST - 41 comments

I obtained an EPro (Compal) N34AS1 laptop computer. It has a Pentium 4 with Win XP Home. When starting up, it will not boot on the first try. The indicator lights flash and you can hear the fan but there is no display and no boot. However, I have found that by repeatedly pressing the power button to turn the computer on and off, by the 4th or 5th try it will boot up and then operate very well. [more inside]posted by KHcancun at 12:31 PM PST - 2 comments

We have a vacation home in Florida (33767), and we've been told that it is now considered 'uninsurable.' This isn't because it's right on the water, but because it's located in a certain zip code. Any advice on how I can go about getting a new policy? Everyone says NO as soon as they hear what zip it's in. posted by richmondparker at 11:42 AM PST - 14 comments

Is it feasible that a short (probably under 5 minutes) but rather heavy hail storm of golf ball-ish sized hail would damage a shingle roof to the point where it would need to be replaced? [more inside]posted by shinji_ikari at 11:29 AM PST - 13 comments

How much flexability is there in the way google adwords are displayed?
Whenever I see google adwords on web pages, they mostly look 1) pretty much the same as on other sites and 2) rather ugly. How much flexability is there in the way they are displayed? Are there any other textad services that allow more flexability in aperance? [more inside]posted by delmoi at 11:17 AM PST - 10 comments

If I use my sister's college-student discount to by computer products at a reduced price, but claim them as expenses for my home business, will anyone care? [more inside]posted by anonymous at 10:40 AM PST - 18 comments

I want to get a divorce I'm in the UK:
Do I need to involve a solicitor? is this something I could do on my own? If it is something I can do myself, how can I go about starting it?
My wife is not overly keen on us getting a divorce, though I'm pretty sure she'd NOT put up much of a struggle once the thing got started. [more inside]posted by anonymous at 10:39 AM PST - 9 comments

Please help me locate useful resources, preferably free and web based or available through the library loan program, that would lead to more effective tutoring for a student with Asperger Syndrome. [more inside]posted by anonymous at 10:39 AM PST - 3 comments

I am middle-aged, overweight, and I have asthma. I am considering moving in four months from Houston, TX, approzimately sea-level to Denver, Co, approx. 5200 feet. How much trouble will I have with the altitude? Other than walking more than I am now, what can I do to prepare for the altitude change? posted by anonymous at 10:39 AM PST - 11 comments

Any info on what an 11 year old should be doing in preparation for acceptance into a college specailizing in music. He is very self motivated, loves playing the guitar, can play the piano and has mentioned Juilliard several times. Not sure where he picked up that particular name. Any info would be greatly appreciated by his non-college, non-musical mother... posted by prairiepmb at 8:03 AM PST - 21 comments

I use Yahoo Sitebuilder for my wife's site, but I also used it to build a small satire site which I want to post via FTP. How does a tech challenged crustacean turn the Sitebuilder code into regular html? [more inside]posted by lobstah at 6:10 AM PST - 8 comments

Help me settle an argument: I say that the word "precocious" always has a connotation that's derogatory (if applied to an adult) or patronizing (if applied to a child). She says that it can be used as a legitimate compliment. What say you? posted by Saucy Intruder at 6:08 AM PST - 46 comments

Houseplant recommendations, please. I want a "columnar" plant to sit in front of my floor-stand-mounted speakers, hiding the ugly black-poled void. In other words, what houseplants a) sit in a ~10" pot and b) have a "columnar" display rising straight up for 2.5-3 feet? The plants will get bright reflected light, but almost no direct sun. posted by Moistener at 12:54 AM PST - 6 comments

Folks with adblocking and internet security software, can you help me out by letting me know 1) if your software blocks a site 2) what software it is 3) why. That why is the tricky part! [more inside]posted by dabitch at 12:37 AM PST - 20 comments

March 28

I'm probably going to drop out of a Ph.D. program – should I still take my qualifying exams? Any chance this might let me ultimately get a Ph.D. while feeling like I left academia? If I do ultimately drop out, would taking exams have just been a big waste of time? [more inside]posted by ruff at 11:59 PM PST - 21 comments

You know that part of the job interview, where they ask you if you have any questions? I have a hard time thinking of questions. Suggestions? [more inside]posted by Kololo at 11:37 PM PST - 29 comments

Please help me find, free of charge, reliable statistics for US Public school academic ratings. Elementary thru high school, state by state. [more inside]posted by SwingingJohnson1968 at 11:31 PM PST - 2 comments

If they're not handling accidents, what do highway patrol officers and cops do when there's a traffic jam? I never see them on the road. Are they abandoning their posts? [more inside]posted by frogan at 9:50 PM PST - 20 comments

I've looked at the cheats and tried unsuccessfully, so I pose this to the ever-talented video gamers of Metafilter: Is there a way to get to Staunton Island and Shoreside Vale from Portland in Grand Theft Auto III without finishing up all the missions? Have you actually done this yourself? I've seen the subway and bridge jumping tips but haven't had any luck. I'm using a PS2 if it helps. posted by tozturk at 9:39 PM PST - 8 comments

Calling all GTD-ers! I need some help with a cross-platform, portable system to keep track of my endless supply of open-loops and next-actions. I'm looking for The One tool to use and it has to meet some odd requirements. [more inside]posted by neilkod at 1:30 PM PST - 13 comments

Before there was videotape there was Kinescope, a process that took hours to process, and could not be transmitted electronically. So how did New York based live television shows get shown "live" in different time zones? [more inside]posted by Gungho at 12:52 PM PST - 16 comments

Thanks to a derail in this thread, I have learned that Merriam-Webster now believes that "literally" also means "virtually." This has shaken me to the core, and seems to be evidence of the English language being irrevocably broken. I beg you to ease my soul and prove this isn't true by giving me evidence of other English words that, over time, have come to mean their own antonyms. posted by Faint of Butt at 12:44 PM PST - 106 comments

Audio Amplifier selection: I have an older (90s) Sony Amp driving two much older Boston acoustic 150 watt - 8 ohm rated speakers (A150s, series II, 1985). The speakers just had the woofers placed by BA, and now it's time to move the amp up into the new century. How Audiophile do I have to go to get decent sound? [more inside]posted by daver at 12:33 PM PST - 11 comments

I'm looking to do some casual stock trading...likely 1 or 2 trades a quarter, in amounts around $1000 or less. What online stock trader site is best for me? [more inside]posted by davebug at 12:07 PM PST - 10 comments

Is there an interactive website that will allow me to provide various inputs in order to find fantastic vacation spots / places to take up residence? [more inside]posted by indigo4963 at 11:48 AM PST - 4 comments

I tutor mathematics at university and often my students forget about their appointments. Is there some kind of software (preferably that could sync with my Axim) that could email out reminders to the students? I use linux and windows. posted by jplank at 11:45 AM PST - 3 comments

Want to learn some XML. I've read a few books on theory, now I want to get my hands dirty and was thinking an online training course would be a good plan. Has anyone got any experience of these or have a recommendation to offer - there's a lot to choose from! posted by russmail at 10:23 AM PST - 7 comments

What is the word for...when someone speaks in a different accent or tone to depict the fact that they are not totally committed to what they are saying (either for amusement or fear of reprisal)? [more inside]posted by pettins at 9:39 AM PST - 20 comments

I'm looking for vacation property that's within about 2 hours of my primary residence. Is there a site out there that can generate a map that shows towns within this range? Maybe a Google map with a maximum radius displayed? posted by GernBlandston at 9:18 AM PST - 3 comments

I have to, starting very early in the morning, and well before Friday, install Windows XP, Office 2003, and a number of small insurance applications on 9 different minitowers that are coming in. Assuming they are all exactly the same build, and hopefully, without spending any more money, what would be the quickest and most efficient way to do this? [more inside]posted by thanotopsis at 9:17 AM PST - 17 comments

There's a lot of questions here on AskMe about having fun in Hawaii. Problem is, they all pretty much assume the weather is nice. My parents are in Hawaii right now. It's pouring rain. They're sad. Any rainy-day tips for things to do if you're rained out in Hawaii? posted by 40 Watt at 8:41 AM PST - 8 comments

I am running OS X 10.3.9. Blank CD's are not being recognized or mounting on my desktop. Music cd's and dvd's both work fine. They show up on my
desktop as icons and automatically launch itunes/dvd player etc.
what should I do?
thanks posted by cg1 at 8:41 AM PST - 3 comments

I would like to know the specific names of 1) the greenish background color and 2) the reddish letters used for the company title (after the flash) used on this website. I would like to use these colors for business cards. Also, any suggestions for companies that could print business cards w/ these colors at a reasonable price would be helpful. Thanks. posted by slow, man at 7:24 AM PST - 17 comments

Haircuts for guys. There are tons of sites/pictures/info on women's haircuts, little for men. What are some sites for inspiration for my next cut? [more inside]posted by striker at 7:00 AM PST - 21 comments

If humans communicate via symbols and can only understand something (i.e., give it some semiotic 'identity') by way of comparison to already-familiar things, how do we begin at all? [more inside]posted by Yeomans at 6:52 AM PST - 18 comments

Please suggest a good event-level debugger for VB.NET. I am looking for a debugger which can trap the execution of event handling code , when an event gets triggered from a line of code, by the .NET framework or by some user action. [more inside]posted by inquisitive at 5:28 AM PST - 6 comments

When I visited Japan two years ago, some konbini stores sold boxes with toys that contained a room with furnishings. More rooms could be interconnected to a complete house. I still kick myself on a daily basis for not buying them then and there. Can they be found for sale online? [more inside]posted by ouke at 4:31 AM PST - 6 comments

I was at-fault in a minor car accident while in the United States last year. The other party involved was a Department of Homeland Security officer. Will this incident affect my ability to enter the United States under the visa waiver program in the future? [more inside]posted by madforplaid at 2:20 AM PST - 9 comments

March 27

Modem problem. Three computers, all firwalled, virus protected and clean have been separtely attached to the modem with different cables - they all exhibit the same behaviour [more inside]posted by Neiltupper at 11:58 PM PST - 5 comments

Kids themed 21st birthday party: My 21st is in two weeks and I'm having a kids themed party, so it's back to the days of fairy bread and balloons. I need ideas. So far I'm using a projector to set up a big screen game of Super Mario Brothers, I'm having a pin the tail on the donkey game where you win a shot if you get it even remotely right, and I've downloaded a bunch of theme songs from kids shows back then. Any more ideas? [more inside]posted by twirlypen at 10:07 PM PST - 24 comments

My husband is going crazy because there was a song on an episode of Without A Trace tonight and he can't think of the name of the song or who performs it. Can you help us out? (He really is going nuts.) posted by lisaj32 at 9:05 PM PST - 11 comments

When I even moderately physically exert myself I get wiped out for the rest of the day. Im a prisoner in my house basically because I cant walk anywhere without getting fatigued afterwards... Does anyone know what this could be? [more inside]posted by who else at 8:38 PM PST - 23 comments

ok so my girlfriend's laptop was rediculously slow and infested with spyware, viruses, and who knows what else. I couldn't even work on it it was so slow.
.. Checked the memory .. it was only 256.. got 1024 from crucial.com in two 512 sticks.
Should have no problem wiping the spyware .. problem is with the memory!! [more inside]posted by jason9009 at 8:05 PM PST - 5 comments

We use Ad Tempus to schedule and report on success/failure of batch jobs. When it works, it's grand but when it fails, it causes me so much pain. [more inside]posted by justlisa at 12:56 PM PST - 3 comments

I have approx. 500 bottles I'd like to track using a non-computerised system. Ideally I'd like to use a plain ruled moleskine type notebook only, no fancy forms or anything. I'd like to track price when and where purchased, when to drink and any Parker scores/comments. I'm currently doing this by linear entry into a journal, which is fine but I'm really creating more of a diary of wine purchases rather than a useable tracking method.
Anyone have any tips/tricks/techniques for tracking wine? posted by Keith Talent at 11:14 AM PST - 17 comments

A friend of mine, using Outlook under WinXP, has entered only the "email address" and "display as" fields into her contacts list and now regrets that. Is there a way to automate going thru her several hundred contacts to copy the "display as" names she has entered (usually the first and last name) into the "full name" field? posted by emg at 10:45 AM PST - 2 comments

Having come to the end of my rope with Time-Warner's sucky customer service, we're looking at DirectTV. What advice, warning, cautions, or kudos would you give us before switching to this service. Two more specific (kinda stupid) questions are inside. [more inside]posted by anastasiav at 10:11 AM PST - 23 comments

I have several large paintings (5 x 5 or so) and am moving into a new apartment. I know from experience at my current apartment that I like to move stuff around and that I don't like holes in the walls. What's involved in hanging paintings from the ceiling like galleries often do? posted by dobbs at 10:06 AM PST - 12 comments

Northern Virginia: I need to appear soon in Arlington County traffic court, and I'd like to get legal assistance with my case. The metro area is full of law firms - would anyone care to recommend a good one? posted by atavistech at 9:47 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm reading a book that has a lot of references to Paris between the wars and culture that flowed underneath it. The surrealist movement, people like Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, the brothels and debauchery, etc. Similar situations have happened everywhere - the Harlem Renaissance, the Beat Generation and countless others. I'm sure you can think of more.
My question is this: Where is this stuff happening now? [more inside]posted by borkingchikapa at 9:44 AM PST - 23 comments

Say that a (US) presidential administration was doing something it wasn't supposed to be doing. Could a future presidential administration find this out and prosecute the former administration's officials? [more inside]posted by ontic at 9:25 AM PST - 16 comments

Hi, I'm thinking of short story I read a while ago where the worlds communications system (telephones pre-net I think) became sentient. First sign of it doing so was that it started putting people in touch with each other that it thought might like each other like some crazy dating agency and finally it achieves full intelligence and starts communicating with a telecommunications system in another galaxy. Oh how I've looked!
Or maybe I dreamt it in which case forget you ever read this and I'll write the story! posted by merocet at 9:11 AM PST - 17 comments

LawSchoolLoansFilter: As most undergrads do, I've got a few small blemishes (and one large one) on my credit report. I've gotten into school, but I'm paralyzed with fear to even start on my private loans. Am I being stupid, or am I right to be frightened? [more inside]posted by plaidrabbit at 8:31 AM PST - 11 comments

I'm looking for a book not by Joseph Campbell, but interpreting his works. It outlined the steps of the "hero's journey" and identified the archetypes. It leaned heavily on the Odyssey, Star Wars and the Wizard of Oz as examples of Campbell's model. Does anyone know the name of the book? posted by scaryblackdeath at 8:27 AM PST - 12 comments

So I'm doing my expenses, and I want to see every night I sent an email after 8:00 or so, because that implies I took a cab home that night. (I can bill them without receipts, but I want to be honest and I'm doing this for a couple months.) Is there a way to export email headers from Outlook to excel or a csv file, so I can sort them by time and count up my trips? posted by mtstover at 7:35 AM PST - 6 comments

This should be an easy one. I'm trying to remember the title, and author, of a sci fi / cyberpunk novel I read a few years back. The book started in Galveston, Texas, then moved on to guys in the Caribbean running ecosystems on ships. I think it also involved an escape from Hong Kong on a ship, and later, jail in Mali. Oh and while you're at it, reccomend some lesser known books with a similar vibe, if you can. posted by Jimbob at 1:52 AM PST - 10 comments

March 26

I work with dogs who suffer from severe thunderstorm phobia. It's a difficult problem to manage because there are so many stimuli involved - the noise, the lightning itself, the smell of ozone, etc. These dogs seem to be able to sense atmospheric electrical charges that occur during thunderstorms - they feel the static in the air. Many of them head to the bathtub. I assume that the grounding plumbing pipes provide discharges the static.
I would like to build something that would help dogs who are fearful of the electrical phenomena that occur during thunderstorms, but I lack the physics background to even articulate clearly what I'm looking for.
Ideas, anyone? [more inside]posted by freshwater_pr0n at 11:23 PM PST - 19 comments

There was a site posted at mefi a few years back that cataloged all of Elvis' jumpsuits. It was (obviously) the best site in the whole world. I can't find it now. I found something, but it wasn't it. [more inside]posted by wsg at 11:20 PM PST - 2 comments

Is there an application that can give me a little window that sits on my desktop that can show various computer functions: hard disk space, cpu function, etc.? I've used Konfabulator, and it's good, but I've been having a bit of trouble with it recently and wonder if there's something similar out there. Freeware is best! posted by zardoz at 10:41 PM PST - 14 comments

Hobbies are supposed to occupy your time, right? I feel guilty unless I am being productive. What hobbies are there that are fun and productive? [more inside]posted by dking at 10:18 PM PST - 39 comments

I have a group of people and we are seeking an online calendar and email service. We are looking for something where we can send an email to one address and it will be sent to the rest of the group and/or archived on the website. Also, looking for a service that has a calendar that we can post upcoming events. (I am familiar with Yahoo Groups, but seeking an alternative solution.) [more inside]posted by marc10 at 9:36 PM PST - 14 comments

We are going to be driving from Boston to Toronto on a Thursday night and Friday with our five kids (ages 3 to 16). We want to stop somewhere half-way to sleep--ideally a hotel that is not too pricey but still decent and has an indoor pool. Perhaps a good breakfast, or just a decent breakfast. Where should we stay? And in general, if you needed to find a hotel en route from A to B, how would you do that (the second question is WAY less important than the first)? posted by Raspberry at 9:30 PM PST - 7 comments

Digital camera filter: I am looking to upgrade to a better camera. Should I opt for an "SLR-like" camera, such as the Panasonic FZ-30, or should I shell out for a digital SLR? [more inside] [more inside]posted by Krrrlson at 9:00 PM PST - 23 comments

In four days, I will leave with my family for a nine-month sabbatical at a university in London. Late in the game, we found out that I need a work permit, even though I'm still being paid by my US employer [a non-profit research institute] because we're staying in the UK for more than six months. I filled out the 'Work Permit for Sponsored Researchers' form, but the permit hasn't arrived yet. I haven't gotten a straight answer on what will happen when we arrive in London. Please tell me that we won't be bundled onto the next flight back to the US! posted by lukemeister at 8:17 PM PST - 12 comments

Okay, I have to "look nice" for an interview and I was told that a pair of khakis and a blue blazer would be perfect. The only "blue blazer" I have is the traditional blazer with gold buttons. Some say the gold buttons are timeless and is always "in", others say they are "out" and replace the buttons. What do MeFites think? Is it iffy enough to worry about? I did an AskMe search and didn't find anything addressing this blazer/button issue. Help? posted by Gerard Sorme at 6:03 PM PST - 35 comments

FashionFilter: Can anyone help me locate the designer, or even better, and online source for the smokin hot shirt/blouse/top (whatever women call those things) Melissa McGhee wore on American Idol the night she got voted off? Here's a pic: [more inside]posted by jwhowa at 4:59 PM PST - 11 comments

I'm looking for modeling/acting agencies in or around the bay area, ca.
This would be for a 20 year old girl, she has high school and some college drama classes and a little modeling under her belt. Lots of smarts.
Recommendations or success stories are welcome. Also feel free to let us know if there is any places/agencies to avoid.
Thanks Guys and Gals! posted by Building at 3:22 PM PST - 3 comments

My wife (who only works part-time) and I will be applying for a joint mortgage soon. My FICO score is 800; hers is 670. How will a lender determine our interest rate when we have such different scores? posted by boognish at 2:28 PM PST - 7 comments

I have an information interview at a large company I'd like to work for.
Some background: The interview was set up by a former colleague's friend and the person I am speaking with does not work in the department I'd like to work in.
What is the best I can hope to get out of such a situation and how would you go about achieving it? posted by captainscared at 1:49 PM PST - 4 comments

Antivirus software on WinXP SP2: Finding the balance between something that will protect my computer and something that won't slow down my system or interfere with my working online. [more inside]posted by bingo at 9:13 AM PST - 21 comments

Jazzfest in New Orleans: tips for a first time visitor? It's been asked before (pre-Katrina) and I've bookmarked all the New Orleans threads, but I'm asking again just in case. [more inside]posted by CunningLinguist at 7:24 AM PST - 9 comments

Where should I visit in The Somme? I'm off there this week, primarily to trace the actions of the Sheffield City Battalion which was focused on the village of Serre. But where else should I visit while I'm there? What are the must see things in the region. I am staying in Albert. posted by chill at 4:39 AM PST - 7 comments

March 25

In Google Local, this area is heavily blurred. In Live Local, it doesn't even exist, but the area next to it is shown in clear detail. Does anyone know what this is about? (Gulf of Ob, northern Siberia, zoom in and out to see what I mean) posted by Termite at 11:24 PM PST - 22 comments

This is probably one for the librarians; Is there *anywhere* that the full end-credits to a movie get published? Online,Offline, or Overpriced-Industry-Service? IMDB does a decent job on the big names, but I'm interested in a full and accurate listing for movies (aka., down to the second second assistant assistant director). posted by alan at 10:45 PM PST - 12 comments

I am trying to put together a playlist of songs about doctors and hospitals. Not metaphoric "Love Doctor"- type songs, but more along the lines of The Replacements' "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out." [more inside]posted by Failure31 at 10:41 PM PST - 32 comments

I want to interact with my music library over a network and be able to add notes, links, etc. to each item. Looking for static or dynamic approaches . . . [more inside]posted by fourcheesemac at 7:50 PM PST - 4 comments

I'm looking for a free solution that would AUTOMATICALLY print received emails from a POP account (Gmail, to be exact). If there's ANYONE out there who knows how, you'd be my hero for life (at least, until next week :D)... [more inside]posted by TrueVox at 7:21 PM PST - 14 comments

Please suggest instrumental music we can listen to while we study. This music must mask the noise coming from the apartment above us and remain relatively unobtrusive (without being lame). [more inside]posted by safetyfork at 6:55 PM PST - 71 comments

I'm looking for some software to be run under Windows XP that I can set to move or remove files which are past a certain date after specified intervals. Ideally the software will have a small footprint and relatively easy to use. Is this the sort of task that can be done through some sort of Windows based CRON program?
Ahhhh help me Mefi! posted by a. at 6:03 PM PST - 12 comments

my brother may be heading for divorce. yay. its gotten to the point where my sister in law is ready to see a counselor. can any one recommend a good marriage counselor in the tacoma/seattle area? posted by Tryptophan-5ht at 5:11 PM PST - 2 comments

Tax Filter: Why would the fact that I paid interest on student loans last year mean I owe the IRS more money? I was doing my taxes on TurboTax today, and I have two 1098-E forms which say that I paid a total of $1,700 dollars in interest last year on student loans. This is the first year I'm paying on loans rather than taking them out, so I'm not sure how it works. My little counter at the top of the screen was saying I was getting an $800 refund until I entered that amount. After that, it said I would owe the IRS $450 this year. When it said I might be able to take the $1,700 as a deduction, that seemed like a good thing... so why do I owe now when before, I didn't? I don't get it. posted by abbyladybug at 2:47 PM PST - 12 comments

I was heavily bitten by bedbugs over the summer of 2005, and although they're gone, I've grown very anxious about the thought of ever becoming reinfested. [more inside]posted by anonymous at 2:35 PM PST - 9 comments

I’m studying for an exam and would like some tips on polishing my memorization skills. How do actors remember their lines? I know repetition helps, but what else can I do to retain the questions/answers I’m studying. Any tips, tricks or websites of interest would be appreciated. posted by johnd101 at 1:56 PM PST - 9 comments

I can't unscrew stuck screws from inside the ram compartment of my powerbook... very tight space and very delicate. What can I do? I have a suspicion that an ant or two has crawled in my titanium powerbook G4 (let's not talk about the ants!) and I wanted to open it up by taking up the keyboard/track pad assembly so I can inspect it, armed with a nice spray can of air. [more inside]posted by semidivine at 12:43 PM PST - 10 comments

Some water (a glass, only about 20% full) got accidentally spilled on my iBook (it was closed, turned off and disconnected). I immediately rinsed it all off, especially the rear panel vent, very carefully. But I am afraid water got in the insides of the iBook. How long do I have to wait until its guts dry up & I can safely try to turn it on, see if it's been damaged? And, if it doesn't work, is it going to be expensive to have it fixed (it's a G4, two years old)? posted by PenguinBukkake at 10:40 AM PST - 13 comments

I wanted to create a banner image for a blog and wanted to take a jpg image and 'burn' some text into it (using different typefaces) -- anyone know the best way to do this? I don't have photoshop -- is there any other way? (I own an ibook) posted by dearleader at 10:06 AM PST - 7 comments

What songs do you recommend about survival against odds or in the face of adversity? I am putting together a CD of songs to remind me I can push through anything. Examples of what I am looking for are:
18 Wheeler by Pink
I Get Knocked Down (Tubthumping) by Chumbawumba
I Will Survive by Cake (I like their version best, sorry)
Any suggestions are helpful, but I am not particularly interested in breakup songs. If it is not a song where you can not sum it up into something along the lines of "Bring it!" or "Is that the best you got?" then it is probably not what I am after. posted by slavlin at 9:28 AM PST - 51 comments

Is there a way, possibly using Google maps or some other app, to determine the path of the sun over my property for the coming summer months? Specifically, I am trying to determine if a particular region near some oaks will get enough sunlight for a small vegetable garden. posted by docpops at 7:10 AM PST - 12 comments

ModFilter: I've been given a Flybook as a gift. It's a great little machine, but it has one incredible flaw (and a few minor ones): when used as a tablet, there is no way to right click. Help me add a mod a button or two, or three into this tiny little laptop. [more inside]posted by Freen at 10:40 PM PST - 7 comments

A close friend of ours is moving away in a few days and I'd like to get him a token of our friendship to take with him. I know he's a huge fan of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, so I'm trying to come up with a symbolic object or phrase from the books that would be meaningful. I read the books myself a while back, but am terrible at remembering details and I won't have access to them in the next few days to look anything up. Any ideas? posted by platinum at 7:50 PM PST - 17 comments

I need ideas to Dress my 3 and 5 yr old up for an adults 40th with an 80's theme... Something comfortable, but recongizable enough to be a hoot! Thanks! posted by kmurray24 at 6:55 PM PST - 26 comments

What are some examples of a wiki being tied in as part a larger site - with static pages, a forum, whatever - with a consistent skin between them? posted by Hot Like Your 12V Wire at 5:37 PM PST - 10 comments

Help me help my brother make a decision about what to do with his career. He is 24, from the UK, has a batchelors degree (in Business Studies) and has worked for about 3 years as a management consultant. [more inside]posted by Rc at 4:55 PM PST - 5 comments

I would like to upgrade my old 15" G4 powerbook laptop 400 Mhz. I would like to get more speed out of it. I have maxxed the ram out and installed a faster access HDD. What else can I do? Motherboard? Recommendations? posted by fox_terrier_guy at 3:08 PM PST - 7 comments

you know how you're sometimes forced to use internet explorer? and you know how sometimes you open a second window while waiting for Window #1 to load? and then when Window #1 is done loading, it automatically pops in front of Window #2 which you're now happily reading? is there anyway to prevent Window #1 from popping forward? posted by crush-onastick at 2:58 PM PST - 12 comments

I am looking for a clear understandable introduction to Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico Philosophicus. Is there any particular book or website you can recommend to someone who is not schooled in philosophy? posted by davar at 2:11 PM PST - 13 comments

My current level of "life management" skills aren't cutting it anymore (not that they ever did so great to begin with). How can I get my act together? [more inside]posted by shelbaroo at 2:07 PM PST - 20 comments

I have an out of print, foreign book (written by Jesuits, snatch) that I need copied. It's a language book, and written some time ago. The book is borrowed and I'd like a copy for reference. It does not have to be professional bound or anything like that -- and the original copy can be destroyed if necessary. [more inside]posted by geoff. at 1:25 PM PST - 13 comments

I have been tasked with coming up with some ideas for what to do for a warm weather outing for our small (30-40 people) company here in Atlanta.
Does anyone have any ideas or experiences that they have really enjoyed that they would share? [more inside]posted by GrumpyMonkey at 1:15 PM PST - 8 comments

What is some fun, lo-fi, electronic pop music? Emphasis on the pop. I've heard Nullsleep and some of the other 'chip' musicians, and they're too techno-y for my tastes. I'm looking for something more along the lines of the tracks on the Life Aquatic soundtrack. posted by hughbot at 1:10 PM PST - 37 comments

Posted on behalf of colleen711, who joined too recently to be able to post this herself:
My roomate and I are recent college graduates, she's working in libertyville and I'm working in deer park. We want to live in the city, but keep our commute to less than or equal to one hour. [more inside]posted by Johnny Assay at 12:02 PM PST - 11 comments

I just bought Norton Ghost 10.0. It is complete crap, as far as I can tell. What can I do, either to make it work the way I want, or to actually return it for a refund? [more inside]posted by gregvr at 11:17 AM PST - 9 comments

Photoshop CS2 does a terrible job scaling down an image when displaying it in the edit window. Is there an equivalent of "Bicubic" for when I'm looking at an image on screen? [more inside]posted by Nelson at 11:15 AM PST - 15 comments

Considering hiring someone else to do credit repair for me. What differentiates a good service from a bad one? Are there traps or pitfalls? What should I expect to pay? [more inside]posted by weston at 11:14 AM PST - 12 comments

I need to open an IRA, and probably another mutual fund account (or other investment) for shorter term savings, but I don't want to give money to evil corporations. [more inside]posted by Fenriss at 10:28 AM PST - 11 comments

Asking for my wife... There's a Gap TV ad running in the U.S. this month, featuring a "Daddy-O" song. Any one know the artist and actual song title? Sorry I don't have more info. posted by markmillard at 9:15 AM PST - 10 comments

So I finally got a midi cable and hooked up my keyboard to my computer for some home recording. It works swell, but I'm looking into a portable solution so I can take it along with my laptop. [more inside]posted by pooya at 8:40 AM PST - 9 comments

I'm starting to buy a lot of books on Audible. Problem is: they're pretty expensive. Legally, can I sell the books I've listened to and no longer want to read on eBay? [more inside]posted by JPowers at 8:31 AM PST - 17 comments

What is the expected printing speed for wirelessly connected printers? I hooked up a Trendnet usb to wireless printer server with my older Canon S600 USB printer. I use wep encryption on my network. I immediately noticed that the print job for one page color document take a quite a bit of time to start on the printer. I have not played around much yet, but when i tried printing a short word document from my laptop I was getting not enough memory errors. I am pretty sure it is not a laptop problem.
When the printer was connected to the desktop PC i did not notice these problems of course. [more inside]posted by flyby22 at 7:20 AM PST - 3 comments

We're taking our first trip as tourists to Washington, DC next week. As we in Maine and clean mucking boots is considered dressed-up, how casual is appropriate for this trip? [more inside]posted by SteveInMaine at 6:57 AM PST - 24 comments

EuroCellServiceFilter: I'll be travelling in Europe from mid-April until September/October to many, many countries, but 2-3 months throughout Italy and 4-5 weeks in Spain, followed by more inside. What cell service providers (if any) offer plans for data services in multiple countries throughout (Western) Europe at reasonable rates? I'd be happy with something that will do data for my 3-4 months in Italy+Spain, and then just use internet cafes during the rest of my trip. This is primarily for using with my laptop. [more inside]posted by cactus at 4:30 AM PST - 7 comments

March 23

I finally decided to make good on a long standing resolution to learn how to meditate. transcendental Meditation, I wa told, was among the best programs to learn from.
I found a TM franchise nearby, and attended a free intro class. After a long boring lecture and no actual meditation, in which the lecturer showed study after study showing how TM cures everything including ingrown toe nials, she drops the karma bomb: $2500 "tuition" for the course.
My questions: Is TM really superior? Has it really become the peaceful tonic of the upper classes? Is TM really superior to other forms of meditation? Does TM always have to be so expensive? Can it be learned from a book instead of avaristic new age meditation moguls? posted by Fupped Duck at 11:08 PM PST - 24 comments

"New" iMac G5 with a serious case of the freezies. Hardware test shows no problems with any hardware. Wiping and re-installing does no good. How on earth can I fix this? [more inside]posted by grapefruitmoon at 8:48 PM PST - 15 comments

I get so many boogers that the boogie man is jealous of me. How do I get rid of boogers, it's embarassing because I have to pick my nose at least twice a day in fear that some hot chick is going to see a booger in my nose. This isn't only during the winter, I get boogers year round. [more inside]posted by pwally at 5:16 PM PST - 28 comments

I'm working on a project that requires somewhat in-depth knowledge of the workings of antique carnival/fun-fair size breakdown and re-assemble Ferris wheels. The problem is that I don't know enough about Ferris wheels or how they work to know what to look for. [more inside]posted by xyzzy at 5:10 PM PST - 7 comments

I've recently been studying how humans interact with their environments by studying ice cores, sediments, and other such things. I'm interested in supplementing this research by looking at how literature from the same time and place represents humans interaction with the environment. Anybody know any journals, books, etc. that deal with this sort of work? [more inside]posted by eighth_excerpt at 2:36 PM PST - 2 comments

I am interested in the physics of motor vehicle accidents. The most basic question I have is which of Newton's laws, if I am understanding them properly, is at work in the following situations:
1) You're driving in a straight line and suddenly you jerk the wheel in one direction. This makes the car start to roll.
2) You're driving and you fall asleep at the wheel, so the car drifts to one side. You wake up suddenly, jerk the wheel in the opposite direction, and the car starts to roll.
3) You round a sharp curve too fast and roll the car.
If anybody would like to give detailed explanations of the physics of each of these situations, hopefully without calculus, that would be great, as well.
thanks! posted by soulbarn at 2:04 PM PST - 12 comments

Say I have 5 points: a,b,c,d,e. I know the position of each one at t=0: pa0,pb0 etc. Now say that at t=1, the distance between each one changes, so I know Dab1,Dac1...Dde1. Is there an equation or algorithm which will allow me to know (or aproximate) the positions at t=1 : pa1...pe1? [more inside]posted by skree at 10:28 AM PST - 33 comments

I did something to my computer (iMac G5) over a year ago, and now every folder includes a file called ".DS_Store". What is it, and how can I make it invisible again? posted by interrobang at 9:18 AM PST - 9 comments

Keyboard navigation problems with Firefox on a Mac (OS 10.3.9). I've searched and searched or an answer, really I have, but haven't found the definitive one. [more inside]posted by TiredStarling at 8:45 AM PST - 7 comments

Let's say you just joined a hiking club... you're in decent shape, but haven't really hiked on any kind of regular basis since you were a Boy Scout. You need boots... boots that would cover a variety of hiking situations, most anyway. What would you do? [more inside]posted by Witty at 8:01 AM PST - 42 comments

While I'm certainly have empathy with those who are critical of uber-consumer capitalism, I cringe when I hear people glorify the past or "primitive" cultures. (more...) [more inside]posted by tom_g at 6:34 AM PST - 76 comments

What kind of experiences have you had with using online tutorials/courses to help learn common softwear programs, word, quickbooks, elements, datacad and the like. [more inside]posted by flummox at 4:20 AM PST - 7 comments

Yahoo paid search. I run online ppc marketing for my company in Europe. I have a question about the way Yahoo make us pay our bills and manage our account. [more inside]posted by superfurry at 2:44 AM PST - 4 comments

March 22

I recently was given a Blackberry 7290 and a Moto Razr for work. Each has its own phone number. Both have bluetooth. Is it possible to use the Razr as a BT handset to answer calls made to the Blackberry? That is to say can I use Bluetooth to answer both phone numbers with the Razr? How? posted by leftoverboy at 11:51 PM PST - 7 comments

Let's say I wanted to have some fine art (paintings) shipped professionally. That's museum-style professionalism I'm looking for. Going to NYC, coming from various parts of the country/world. Where they're coming from isn't important - this is entirely made-up, a small part of a budget as part of a hypothetical project. Can you give me any sort of ballpark figures, considering various sizes and various points of origin? posted by thejoshu at 11:16 PM PST - 6 comments

Canadian TaxFilter: Does a US-based company have to withhold taxes for Canadian residents of Canadian nationality who are independent contractors to the company? [more inside]posted by RikiTikiTavi at 10:02 PM PST - 8 comments

North Carolina starts its new statewide lottery next week. Is it reasonable to assume that in the early days the lottery company will offer more than the usual number of small prizes as a way to get folks excited? I saw this thread, and this comment that claims it's true the odds are better at the start of new games, but I'm looking for evidence of actual lottery practice. posted by mediareport at 9:31 PM PST - 1 comment

What is the proper order and nomenclature for numbering architectural drawings? Typically, you break up drawings into different types of views: floorplans, sections, details, and elevations--both outside and [more inside]posted by fandango_matt at 8:46 PM PST - 5 comments

What is the command / string / path for piping local audio through Winamp? IE, I want Winamp to run whatever is being output through my soundcard, Multi-media soundsystem or DirectSound as wave through it's DSPs. [more inside]posted by loquacious at 8:15 PM PST - 2 comments

I once heard a recording of a comedian/folk musician performing a song whose main lyric was "I didn't throw up; it was a pretty good day."
Please save me from madness and tell me his name. posted by DWRoelands at 7:57 PM PST - 6 comments

In college, my friends and I played an Amiga game incessantly. This game was a futuristic sporting game somewhat like hockey, except involving a metallic ball. And for the life of me, I can't remember what it's called. Help me, Metafilter, you're my only hope. posted by solistrato at 7:08 PM PST - 6 comments

I need to learn to speak Spanish as quickly as possible. There are a couple of small problems - I live in DC, work irregular 12 hour+ days, and don't have the money or the vacation time to go abroad... [more inside]posted by crabintheocean at 7:01 PM PST - 28 comments

I'm looking for some good resources and reading (books, websites, etc.) on U.S. propoganda and rhetoric in reference to nation building projects in the last 50 years (Vietnam, Somalia, Kosovo, Afghanistan/Iraq). posted by rbf1138 at 6:34 PM PST - 2 comments

Asbestos exposure and pregnancy: at my wife's workplace, they've announced that they are closing off a bathroom for asbestos removal over a weekend. Is it wise for her to avoid the office (all in close proximity to the space) on, say, Monday? Longer? Or needlessly paranoid? She's feeling especially cautious as she is five months pregnant. [more inside]posted by BT at 6:04 PM PST - 14 comments

I'm looking for good non-fiction books about the US in the 60s. I'm interested in the social upheavals that occurred then and I'm particularly interested in the anti-war protests and things like the 1968 Democratic National Convention. posted by pombe at 4:55 PM PST - 30 comments

I've been taking hydrochlorothiazide (25mg) once a day for about 2 months now for high blood pressure. The bottle says avoid prolonged sun exposure. I'm going to Hawaii for 10 days, so it will be pretty hard (and not fun) avoiding sun exposure. I'll be doing the sunscreen, floppy hat, etc. What do I need to worry about? What will happen if I do get prolonged exposure? Yes, I have a call into my doctor... posted by mhm at 4:55 PM PST - 7 comments

I'm in business school and am getting sick of my classmates boring group presentations. Building upon this question, what are the best tips for giving a group powerpoint presentation? [more inside]posted by pithy comment at 3:27 PM PST - 22 comments

E-mails from my small business are slowly starting to get blocked by AOL, CompuServe, and now Comcast. It appears my ISP (WildBlue) has lots of IPs on some blacklists. What can I do? [more inside]posted by hodyoaten at 2:46 PM PST - 15 comments

For a Friend: What are some songs about about people who used to see eye to eye, but now they hate each other and can't un­der­stand each other? Or about righteous people trying to smash down lower people? [more inside]posted by ruwan at 1:55 PM PST - 39 comments

I'd like to use Markdown to format some text fields on a ColdFusion based site. Markdown exists for Perl and has also been ported to PHP, but I can't find anything for ColdFusion. [more inside]posted by Tubes at 12:56 PM PST - 1 comment

My computer is driving me insane. Please help. My 1.8gz Macintosh g5 has developed several annoying quirks, the cumulative effect of which is to make browsing the internet an exercise in frustration. Sometimes I want to pull my hair out. Here are the three things that I believe, individually and/or in combination, are causing the slow-downs. I have no idea how to fix any of them: [more inside]posted by jdroth at 12:41 PM PST - 31 comments

What's the best way of adding a Terabyte of reliable, contiguous, archive-quality storage to my system? By 'best' I mean Toyota Corolla as opposed to Hummer. [more inside]posted by unSane at 12:04 PM PST - 49 comments

I have some chromed steel with pretty substantial pitting and rust. However if properly restored its relatively valuable. Is there anything I can do about this myself? If it should be done professionally, where in San Francisco might I take it? posted by atom128 at 11:58 AM PST - 12 comments

Please help me name books/stories/movies where scientific experiment opens some kind of link to another dimension or timeline, with horrific results. [more inside]posted by agropyron at 11:38 AM PST - 59 comments

Digital "Signature" in an excel spreadsheet, is it easy and possible?
My company wants to reduce our paper waste and do digital copies of some of our internal forms. But we need an easy way to digitally sign the documents throughout the various stages of approval. [more inside]posted by JonnyRotten at 11:00 AM PST - 12 comments

Keyboard-centricFilter: I need to reduce my mouse use under Windows XP. What are some good keyboard-centric file managers or desktop replacements? What have others done (besides learning all the keyboard shortcuts) to reduce your mouse use? posted by lhauser at 10:38 AM PST - 13 comments

Is it possible to implement domain-part redirection on URLs, along these lines:
http://foo.bar.com/baz/0001.html
becomes
http://new.domain.com/0001.html
for any instance of "foo.bar.com/baz/*", that segment of the URL is replaced by "new.domain.com/*"
If so, are there multiple methods? [MI] [more inside]posted by mwhybark at 10:34 AM PST - 8 comments

What are some really fun, chill places/activities for a birthday party in the Cambridge/Boston area? I've already thought of: karaoke, playing board games at Diesel Cafe in Somerville, and candlepin bowling. Any other ideas...? Thanks. posted by shivohum at 9:49 AM PST - 9 comments

A few years ago, I attended an Elderhostle study on the Navajo culture in New Mexico. One part of the presentation was a hands on instruction on how to stone grind corn by hand. We then each had a sample of blue corn mush which was delicious. I got to thinking that this would be quite good served up like grits with butter and pepper. Since then I have been trying to find stone ground blue corn similar to that which was served. The commercial blue corn that I have found is much lighter in color and while good for baking has comparatively weak flavor and almost no mouth texture when cooked as mush. This is true even when cooked at double the concentration called for in the recipe. What is the darker blue corn meal called and where might I get some? posted by Raybun at 9:46 AM PST - 7 comments

Evaluating Home Construction: We're considering buying a home in NM, where construction is very different from here in MN. Anyone have any good sources (online or otherwise) to help home buyers evaluate quality of construction in Southwest style homes -- especially stucco homes? We're looking at pueblo/adobe style places. posted by nancoix at 9:39 AM PST - 3 comments

I'm trying to determine the best bare bones microphone system for recording a basic voice-over demo cd for the smallest financial outlay possible.
Is there a tremendous advantage to USB mics over 1/8" mics? Can I get decent quality without having to buy a preamp, or is phantom power the only way to go? Can a USB headset give me CD quality audio, more or less? [more inside]posted by StrangeTikiGod at 9:25 AM PST - 7 comments

FeedFilter! How do I: a) get bloggers to tag their posts about X with “X”; b) subscribe to the “X” tag via RSS; c) feed the “X”-tagged posts into a non-profit web site I run about X? [more inside]posted by MarshallPoe at 9:06 AM PST - 4 comments

How can I seal my home-made steel smoker? It's made out of a never-used oil drum, shaped like a giant flask. The problem is that the hatch, while large enough to cover the opening, doesn't form a perfect seal because of the body's curvature. Imperfect seal = imperfect smoking. What kind of material can take the medium heat of smoking, is non-toxic (no fiberglass!), and is slightly soft, to mold itself to the surface? posted by paul_smatatoes at 9:00 AM PST - 15 comments

I have to pee. I also have to blow my nose. Is it more environmentally friendly to toss my snotty Kleenex into the trash or into the toilet (which I was going to flush anyway)? posted by mookieproof at 8:26 AM PST - 18 comments

I'm looking for an ipod remote control with the greatest range. I'm trying to control an ipod on the other side of a wall in the back of a movie theatre- -about 100 feet or so. (Video iPod- -does that impact my choices?) Thank! posted by verylargecorp at 8:02 AM PST - 1 comment

Is there an easy method for a non-tech guy to use in order to keep folks from right clicking on my site, or, if not that, an easy way to prevent pictures from being copied (getting properties) so as to prevent hotliniking? [more inside]posted by Postroad at 4:34 AM PST - 23 comments

Is there a software package or script I can get that will allow me to enable users to add content to my web site and enable other users to rate that content? I am not a programmer, so something that is pretty simple is preferable. I would like the content to be sorted by showing the highest rated first. Thanks. posted by stockaholic at 9:40 PM PST - 6 comments

I post photos of my dogs onto my personal website. I just found someone on Ebay selling prints and t-shirts using a photo of one of my dogs. [more inside]posted by disaster77 at 9:25 PM PST - 43 comments

Just formed a new cover lounge band in Las Vegas. Male lead singer. Audience range from late 20s to 50s. Want some opinions on what songs people want to hear and what songs NEVER to play. So what do you want to hear? [more inside]posted by SwingingJohnson1968 at 8:56 PM PST - 31 comments

I'm searching for a very specific type of digital camera. I want a camera without a LCD preview/review screen, along with a few other things... [more inside]posted by killThisKid at 8:23 PM PST - 9 comments

Mencken filter. I recall seeing this piece, but I cannot find it now. Mencken asserted that the Renaissance was the direct result of the pandemic Black Death of the mid-1300s, arguing that the reduction in European population by 1/3 opened the door to a more widespread sharing of wealth and resources. Can anyone point me to the right location? posted by yclipse at 8:03 PM PST - 4 comments

Lip waxing: I'm a girl with a heavy 'stache who has been shaving it every two days for years. Whether the shaving did it or not, the hairs are very thick and very dark. I would like to switch to waxing at a salon but have some questions. [more inside]posted by anonymous at 7:39 PM PST - 20 comments

I'm trying to remember the name of a TV show from the 80's about a guy who had a computer cursor that would make a neon motorcycle or sportscar. [more inside]posted by phirleh at 7:24 PM PST - 4 comments

I know many people who don't live in houses but in apartments - empty nesters, young couples with or without children. However, if you were to base your idea of Americans' residences solely on television shows, it would seem that absolutely everybody lives in a house. [more inside]posted by gregb1007 at 6:51 PM PST - 40 comments

How do pornstars have so much cum? They shoot *spurt*, and shoot *spurt* *spurt*.. and it shoots far, may I add. I hear it's eating lots of celery. But come on, what other ways of having more sperm? And shooting it, too. posted by Devileyezz at 6:38 PM PST - 43 comments

I work for a small dot com that just was acquired by a larger dot com (one with a historically shady reputation). What are some signs that my job may not be safe, even though I've been promised it is? What are signs that we are just going to be chewed up and discarded? How will I know when it's time to rewrite the resume and get out? posted by anonymous at 6:10 PM PST - 10 comments

Any idea on the title/details of a movie released in the early '90's about a kid who puts peanut butter on his head and his hair won't stop growing? [more inside]posted by amicamentis at 1:40 PM PST - 15 comments

So, movies where the movie's title is mentioned in the dialogue - my girlfriend was talking about these the other day; she has a superstition that it's a badge of quality. So, how many films are there like this - I would guess it's a minority? Is there a list somewhere? And is it a tick of some directors/screenwriters? posted by runkelfinker at 12:18 PM PST - 67 comments

So, I admit it, I browse ebay a lot and I'm also not averse to surfing the many teleshopping channels.
Now in my travels I often see things which look like they are too good to be true - especially on the TV.
You know the sort of thing - the drill which has a lifetime guarantee and will drill through concrete or steel etc. or the juicer that takes the whole fruit without cutting it up or the makeup that can make you look 10 years younger.
Anyway it got me thinking that there must be some web site somewhere where I can get reviews of these kind of "wonder-products"!
Most of the review sites I've found are pretty poor in my opinion - so few products are actually reviewed and I've yet to find any that look at eBay or Teleshopping products.
Of course if anyone has any genuine wonder-products they have got this way then feel free to post a short review here as well! posted by empedia at 11:30 AM PST - 6 comments

DigitalSLRFilter: I want to get a good entry level Digital SLR camera. I would like to get the Nikon D200 but its a bit much for me right now. Id like to spend no more than $1000 for camera and lens. What do you recommend? Thanks!! posted by flipmiester99 at 11:27 AM PST - 36 comments

Where might one find Civil War-era suits like the ones found in the movie Gangs of New York in either NYC area or online? Nothing antique necessary, just replicas/costumes. posted by Ekim Neems at 11:14 AM PST - 4 comments

Short-run-plastic-fab-filter: Where can I go to order a very short run (100-300 items) of custom shaped and machined plastic sheets? In addition to a whacky shape, I need some drilling and something close to 'etching' on the surface. [more inside]posted by daver at 10:58 AM PST - 2 comments

If a fever is the human body's response to pathogens, does taking medicine to bring down one's fever increase recovery time? If this is true, is it true of all medicines that treat cold/flu symptoms? posted by Mayor Curley at 10:50 AM PST - 11 comments

The recent stories about the difficulty our seniors have found in understanding the Medicare prescription benefit, coupled with continual reports of vehicular "issues" among the elderly, make me wonder about old people, and whether I will be just like them when I get there. [more inside]posted by Bud Dickman at 10:33 AM PST - 39 comments

I'm trying to find a place for my band and a friend's band to play a show in Providence R.I.. I don't care if it's a house or a bar. I just need some leads! posted by josher71 at 10:10 AM PST - 14 comments

In the movie Nightwatch, in the scene where Anton comes out of the subway station following the kid, and gets hassled by the cops there's a bit of incidental music playing in the background, and my brain swears it recognizes it, but won't tell me what it is. I don't recognize anything off the soundtrack listing. Hope me? posted by Capn at 9:07 AM PST - 3 comments

What is involved in running for a seat in the House? Right now there is an uncontested seat in my district, (AR-03) Arkansas, going to Boozman (R). He has a lot of financial backing and and a solid religious support base but he is also batshit insane. I am a 32 year old network/computer specialist that works for the university with no previous political experience, I am pretty good organizer and a fair public speaker and would do well on web activism. but I am not sure if this would even make a difference in a real congressional race as I have no $$$, if there was another candidate I would support them, but this guy is running unopposed so somebody should do something! posted by los pijamas del gato at 7:13 AM PST - 24 comments

Managing User Permissions: I'm reworking an existing system that has a fairly granular permission system and am looking to make it easier to use. At the risk of sounding like a complete clown1, I've recently seen at least one OS permission system where permissions are encoded with ids that are (I think) all powers of 2, which allows the system to discern whether a user has access to a given permission from the sum of the user's permission ids. Can someone explain how this works? [more inside]posted by yerfatma at 7:03 AM PST - 16 comments

Host Network Monitoring: I have a colo box. I can watch traffic levels on it using mrtg. But how do I find out what is causing the traffic I see on the pretty graphs? [more inside]posted by cmm at 6:27 AM PST - 7 comments

Is there any regular expression based search engine or search engine that allows to search for one word in the vicinity of another word, like say word1 within 10 words of word2 ? [more inside]posted by inquisitive at 4:51 AM PST - 8 comments

International ordering via a US website, technical problems ordering supplements for an Autistic child. Should I give up? Can you recommend alternatives? [more inside]posted by Wilder at 2:53 AM PST - 3 comments

Charity solicitor via phonebank recalls not personally a contribution I would have never made over the phone from a previous year, cannot provide details. When I ask him to send more information, t(he)y sends "Sponsor Reminder". [more inside]posted by Ogre Lawless at 1:46 AM PST - 7 comments

March 20

A friend of mine recently told me that she can't read comic books. She doesn't have problems with understanding text or visual information. She's been a voracious book reader since a very early age and she's a dedicated film watcher. I didn't entirely understand her explanation but she says that she never learn to decode the tight coupling of textual and visual information in comic books. Has anyone heard about or experienced something similar? [more inside]posted by rdr at 11:03 PM PST - 23 comments

I am throwing an ecstatic poetry/prose party this weekend and want to have a milk bath. I have access to a lot of fresh milk but not enough to fill up a large tub. Are there ways I can mix with oils or other decoctions? [more inside]posted by goalyeehah at 10:56 PM PST - 10 comments

I have a friend who is a trucker and he wants to know if there's way to receive faxes while on the road. He either wants a fax machine that could receive while he's in route or.... [more inside]posted by thebarron at 10:01 PM PST - 11 comments

What have you read that gave you a new outlook on the world—or even changed your life? I teach a Language Arts class to at-risk teenagers at a small high school, and I need to compile a body of short readings for next term, which is six weeks long. I want to give them those "a-ha!" moments that I had as a teenager when I read something that opened up my brain to something new and made my world larger. All genres (fiction, nonfiction, news articles, poetry, essays, etc.) are options.
There are, of course, challenges... [more inside]posted by cacahuete at 9:27 PM PST - 79 comments

iPodFilter: Now that my iPod is nearly full, and I can't rely on automatic updating, is there any simple way to do, essentially, a diff between my iTune music library and my iPod? [more inside]posted by wheat at 7:56 PM PST - 6 comments

My beautiful baseball glove was stolen about ten years ago when I was too young to know better. I'd love to buy another one of the same or similar type, but all I can remember is a few specifics. Fortunately, it was pretty unique. Details inside. [more inside]posted by DrJohnEvans at 6:25 PM PST - 7 comments

How many USB devices can I power from my system without problems? If USB devices are drawing too much power, which ones are best to off-load on to a self-powered USB hub? [more inside]posted by gwenzel at 6:19 PM PST - 10 comments

You'veGotMailFilter: I'm looking to have some visual indication that I have e-mail waiting on my Windows-based PC. Not on the monitor, but an external device. LCD, a big flashing LED, a waving flag, whatever. Preferably something I could, potentially, rig up in other spots of the house, too. Anywhere from a simple flashing light to a listing of e-mail headers in a mailbox (integration with Outlook 2003 or 2007 a plus). I have a Griffin Powermate, but that device seems to only flash for waiting e-mails on a Mac; I need a PC-based solution. Or a standalone solution.
Ideas? posted by Merdryn at 4:44 PM PST - 13 comments

My wife and I will have our first kid in June. Our cat is a sweet, lovable, completely insane little pain-in-the-butt. He loves snuggling up to both of us, especially when my wife naps, but he's not allowed to sleep with us. But now we have to think about Baby Kickstart. [more inside]posted by Kickstart70 at 4:43 PM PST - 28 comments

I've recently started a new job as the tech director for a small company. I have a bunch of websites and servers to keep an eye on, and I'm thinking I need a mobile device that will allow me to keep track of them. What do you recommend? [more inside]posted by o2b at 2:31 PM PST - 8 comments

Another question about travelling to Milwaukee, a follow-up of sorts to Frank Grimes' recent question. My girlfriend and I are going up to Milwaukee this weekend; are there any neat non-beer/bar/brewery-related things to do and places to visit? And does anybody know of a good vegetarian restaurant or two there? [more inside]posted by jacobm at 1:21 PM PST - 12 comments

Inventionfilter: Lets say I've come up with a brilliant idea that will change the world as we know it. How do I go about making this idea a reality? [more inside]posted by ZackTM at 12:59 PM PST - 16 comments

I am interested in an analyst position at the FBI, but ultimately, I would like to work for a non-profit like Human Rights Watch or as a researcher at a think tank. I know that if you've worked for the FBI, there are certain things that you can never do because of it, such as joining the Peace Corp, for example. So my question is: would working for the FBI compromise my future career aspirations? Would I forever be seen as biased by possible employers? Is it really true, as people tell me, that "once a member of the Bureau, always a member of the Bureau"? And, what does that REALLY mean? posted by exacta_perfecta at 12:49 PM PST - 5 comments

Where can I get a good new hairstyle/haircut in either Philly or NYC? Sick of my current hair and need someone to say "Do this". Bonus points for a specific person and/or under $100 for the cut for a man. [more inside]posted by UMDirector at 11:56 AM PST - 9 comments

Individual entries on my MT 2.6x installation are archived using their trimmed entry-names (i.e. blog.com/trimmed_entry_na.php). I'd like to make the filenames longer from now on (trimming to 30, probably), but I think that if I change the parameter in my Archiving prefs and rebuild, it's gonna go and change the filenames of all my preceding entries too. This I don't want. Is there a way to change the trimming for filenames, but only "from now on"? posted by Marquis at 11:47 AM PST - 3 comments

I'm impressed by the QTVR images found on arounder.com and would like to do something similar. Does anyone know of good freeware to do this?
I'm using Windows XP. posted by chrisch at 10:47 AM PST - 11 comments

Why exactly did the practice of footbinding begin? I know when it began and somewhat how it started, but why were people so eager to do it in the first place and who made it into a standard of beauty? posted by cynthia_rose at 10:02 AM PST - 18 comments

My father thinks he can relocate to Greece on a meagre budget (that's another story!). We (my wife and I) are sceptical of his budget expectations for buying a condo (for cash) in Greece. [more inside]posted by iTristan at 9:34 AM PST - 12 comments

Imagine the standard post apocalyptic scenario - social order collapses, technology is set back hundreds of years, people are struggling to create something like a livable society again. What skills would make a person especially valuable in a situation like this? Bonus points for things that would be useful in everyday life now. [more inside]posted by borkingchikapa at 9:26 AM PST - 60 comments

I have a nice keyboard midi controller that I connect to my pc. However my wife would like to use it without having to muck about with a computer. Is there a simple (and cheap) solution to let her use the keyboard as a piano without too much hassle?
A small box with one or more patches and the ability to connect to a stereo or powered speakers would be ideal. posted by beowulf573 at 7:58 AM PST - 6 comments

How can i use a PC LCD monitor as a TV, without using a PC? I found TV Tuners online, but they usually require a computer to be there.. I'm just thinking that, considering lcd tv prices, I might as well buy a bargain basement lcd monitor and hook it up to a tuner. and the cool thing is, the lcd monitor already has enough pixels to display HD! posted by frenchbenj at 7:42 AM PST - 7 comments

In a while I will be going on a round the world trip to do a bit of soul searching (and to have a lot of fun of course). I'm looking for books on the subject of travel, not the pragmatically oriented genre, but philosophically and spiritually inclined ones. I'd like to read true stories about open-minded people backpacking around the globe and learning something about themselves and the world. I'd like to taste their joys as well as their disappointments, their insights as well as their confusion experienced during long-term world-wide travel. [more inside]posted by koenie at 6:54 AM PST - 20 comments

I've offered to take care of a friend's cat for a week; a previous meeting between her cat and mine was a staring contest with occasional hissing. What can I do to make this week go smoothly? [more inside]posted by uncleozzy at 6:50 AM PST - 7 comments

Does anyone have any experience with wood-inlay wedding rings? My fiance and I are considering these rings, but we are wondering how the wood will hold up over the years. posted by tperrigo at 6:23 AM PST - 11 comments

March 19

I'm looking for photos taken of people at various points in their lives, showing the effects of age on their appearance. Where can I find these? [more inside]posted by teem at 11:50 PM PST - 9 comments

Gift suggestions for: A clarinettist, a violist, and a cellist(who is also a composer).
~$50 each, I have 12 days to get these gifts. Prefer online ordering. [more inside]posted by sirion at 11:28 PM PST - 18 comments

I am trying to find an old book from my childhood (the 1960s): it involved a (possibly magical) bedspread and Sirius (the Dog Star). I remember lots of blues and greens in the illustrations, but not much else. Does this ring a bell? Can you help me find the title? posted by Carsey at 11:12 PM PST - 5 comments

I want to make my own business cards in Photoshop. Nothing fancy, just some text in B&W, so that part I can do myself. But the layout's proving a bit tricky. Any good tutorials on making your own business cards? My end product should be an A4 sized, 8-up or 10-up, in PDF format that I can run over to Kinko's and have them print out and cut. posted by zardoz at 10:33 PM PST - 12 comments

As I look at the strewn wreckage of my past relationships and think about why the ones that seemed like "the one" never quite turned into the one, I wonder what is it that makes a man decide he wants to get married. Do men start thinking I want something more serious this time? Or does it hit them like a meteor out of the blue? Or is it (as they often claim on the 1st or 39th date) a slow slow burn (get to know ya and then 7 years later, lets move in)? Please explain the male psyche to me. posted by zia at 10:03 PM PST - 27 comments

I have a problem. You see, it appears that I've become unable to have make regular eye-contact and a "normal" conversation with women; somehow, my eye appears to dart downwards towards their breasts. How do I stop doing it? [more inside]posted by anonymous at 8:11 PM PST - 31 comments

BusinessAnalysisFilter: I've been out of the Business Analysis sector for about 6 years, and I'm giving some serious thought to heading back in that direction. In looking at a particular job description I've encountered a term I'm not familiar with, and general interest, as well as not wanting to sound ignorant if I apply for that particular job, leads me to ask... [more inside]posted by planetthoughtful at 7:25 PM PST - 7 comments

I am a US citizen and resident, contracting with a European organization for a freelance project that won't be over until near the end of the year (we're still fighting over discussing the actual due date, but that's another issue). I requested a certain fee in US$. They agreed to that fee, but they want to pay it in Euros, based on today's exchange rate. Is this common practice? [more inside]posted by scody at 6:31 PM PST - 18 comments

I'm trying to put together a restaurant guide for an academic meeting being held in Los Angeles' Universal City. Aside from the (mediocre) places along the nearby Citywalk, can folks recommend interesting / funky / neat / fancy and other types of worthwhile places to eat within a short taxi ride, drive or public transportation trip (from the Universal City metro station)? posted by luriete at 4:30 PM PST - 7 comments

Find me some free, nice divider/filigree images that I can use in a printed booklet without getting pixelated looking. Stuff like this, but better: [more inside]posted by anonymoose at 4:27 PM PST - 7 comments

Help me save my expensive headphones. The wire was severed. Too short just to attach a new plug. Where do I find a good quality thingy that connects two wires of this kind together? [more inside]posted by JeNeSaisQuoi at 2:59 PM PST - 11 comments

Quick show of hands or something: How common is it for landlords to want an extra amount per month, in addition to a pet deposit, for a renter who has a pet cat? I completely understand the need for the pet deposit, but it strikes me a little weird to be told, "Oh, if you have a cat, that's an extra $25 a month." posted by pax digita at 2:42 PM PST - 41 comments

ShoeFilter: Unite shoe lovers!
My 10 month old Labrador Retriever ate my right Jimmy Choo last night. Green calf leather from last fall season 2005, size 10.
Unite shoe lovers and together we can put together what was separated by devastating circumstance.
Does anyone out there have a left size 10 Jimmy Choo or know how I can go about
getting just a single shoe? posted by sandrapbrady at 2:02 PM PST - 0 comments

In "What Metaphors Mean" Donald Davidson refers to a critic who called Tolstoy "a great moralizing infant". Who was that critic, and in what work was Tolstoy so called? posted by kenko at 1:56 PM PST - 10 comments

There used to be a website (of course there was) that examined a URL of one's choosing and then showed pretty pictures of how it was rendered in a few dozen different browsers and platforms. [more inside]posted by RJ Reynolds at 1:54 PM PST - 5 comments

I'm bringing the crew to Vegas. Four guys, one weekend, celebrating good times. The flights are booked but that's about it. Suggestions for making this weekend ridiculous? [more inside]posted by effugas at 1:36 PM PST - 14 comments

I have been accepted at three graduate schools, and each offers a different financial package. Having spent many years in the technology industry, my immediate reaction to realizing I have multiple offers is to want to negotiate better deals from all of them, or at least some of them. Having never been to grad school before, though, I have no idea if the schools give you their best offer up front, or if there is room to negotiate, or whether trying to negotiate is considered bad form, etc. So, can I go back to the schools that have accepted me and negotiate a better deal than the ones originally offered? If it matters--and it does, I'm sure--these programs are in the humanities. Thanks. posted by lustra at 12:06 PM PST - 16 comments

Okay, here's a tough one. In both The Ring and The Ring II, the morose little boy has this amazing bedside lamp that looks like a flying saucer taking off. I assume the set decorators must have purchased this lamp somewhere...but where? Many hours of exhaustive searching have yielded no results. Anyone know where I might find this item? posted by ChaoticIndustry at 10:48 AM PST - 12 comments

My boyfriend and I are driving from Minnesota to Novia Scotia this Spring. We'll be doing some camping along the way. I'm specifically looking for recommendations of where to visit in New England - Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire?
Thanks. posted by Ailla at 9:37 AM PST - 17 comments

Easy list-making software? I'm looking for a program that will let me generate a simple packing list that I can reuse every time I travel. [more inside]posted by CunningLinguist at 6:53 AM PST - 15 comments

I've given up. I can't seem to find this anywhere. Perhaps MeFi can do it? I'm looking for an English-Chinese dictionary for my Nokia N70 phone that has pinyin pronouncations listed for the characters. I want characters, too, but the pinyin is pretty key if I'm actually going to be able to say anything. I'm running Symbian 60 OS. You would think this shouldn't be that hard to find but everything I find either doesn't have pinyin or is for the wrong Symbian OS. posted by riverjack at 6:44 AM PST - 0 comments

WebPoll Filter: I need a cheap (or free) online poll service that can collect at least 1000 responses and prevent revoting (using cookies or IPs, it doesn't have to be highly secure). [more inside]posted by fourcheesemac at 6:18 PM PST - 4 comments

I have a chunk of change that I am trying to make earn more than the small interest in my savings account. Can anyone speak to the tax implications of someting like an ING Direct savings account - which is offering a promotional yield of 4.0% - vs. something like a money market fund, which lately seems to yield in the range of 3.8 - 4.3? Help me make my money work for me! posted by xmutex at 5:57 PM PST - 15 comments

I watch episodes of TV shows on my pc laptop in bed before I sleep most nights. They are usually divx AVIs, but sometimes DVDs. Is there a piece of software that would work well with a touch-screen monitor that would make watching things easier? I'm thinking of something like Apple's Front Row but for windows. posted by cmicali at 4:18 PM PST - 6 comments

There is a movie where someone is petting a sewer rat and they think its a cat. And someone tells the person they're mistaken and petting a rat. Does anyone know what movie? It went something like this: What a nice cat. Excuse me mam, thats a sewer rat! posted by Gabe014 at 3:51 PM PST - 12 comments

I have a resume in Microsoft Word that I use to print and an HTML resume online. Every time I update my resume, I have to do it by hand twice. How do I cut my work in half? [more inside]posted by sdis at 3:47 PM PST - 11 comments

Songs that prominently feature insects, spiders, or other terrestrial arthropods in the lyrics, but do not mention them in the title (thereby escaping my searches).[more inside]posted by Eothele at 2:12 PM PST - 39 comments

MeanMonobrowHypeMachinefilter: I'm looking for a list of bands that have been hyped or dissed by Oasis. I know they're hyping Secret Machines right now, and have done the same for The Soundtrack Of Our Lives in the past. Quotes from Liam or Noel are very welcome. posted by Siberian Mist at 2:07 PM PST - 13 comments

My '94 Honda Accord was recently stolen. I've since recovered it, but now something under the hood makes horrendous metal-on-metal noises. The Honda dealer that repaired the ignition found nothing else wrong with the car. I think this is BS. How should I proceed? [more inside]posted by hercatalyst at 12:56 PM PST - 18 comments

My mother in law has just purchased a brand new laptop. She only uses it for mail and banking. What software could/should i install that would broaden the computers usefulness? posted by FidelDonson at 12:50 PM PST - 9 comments

What is your favorite way to archive RTF files into one large file? Programs such as Treepad etc. are good for collecting the contents of numerous files into one large archive. What will accomplish this best? [more inside]posted by megatherium at 11:32 AM PST - 2 comments

I talked to my parents this morning and my brother is in a psych-center on suicide watch after going thru $2,000 of my folk’s money on crack. This is not the first time this has happened: [more inside]posted by PHINC at 10:43 AM PST - 18 comments

I was raised as a christian scientist, meaning no medicine, no doctors and I was not even allowed to believe that any physical symptom of illness or injury I might have was real. Needless to say such beliefs have not promoted a healthy self awareness, self image or even much of an instinct for self-preservation. I also had some persistent medical problems as a child that went untreated. [more inside]posted by gallois at 10:12 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm looking for audio of Peter Schickele's (also known as "P.D.Q. Bach") hilarious "Songs from Shakespeare"... Right now, I've got a cassette of its 1990 performance for Garrison Keillor's "American Radio Company: The First Season," but I'd like it on CD or MP3. (Is video even available??)
Thanks in advance for all your help!! posted by Misciel at 9:20 AM PST - 1 comment

I can share files over SMB on a local network, or do stuff on the internets -- but not at the same time. How can I make the LAN and WAN play nice? [more inside]posted by holgate at 8:10 AM PST - 2 comments

I've recently found out a person I know could truly be psychotic. So my question is what are the general guidelines for psychosis and when does personal involvement with someone suspected of being psychotic become dangerous? [more inside]posted by anonymous at 6:38 AM PST - 16 comments

A simple one for people unlike me with a decent memory. What's the name of the song that plays when you go to http://donacion.organos.ua.es/ont, and who played it originally? posted by Holly at 4:04 AM PST - 2 comments

What are fun, real-time game things to play over the internet? I'm in a long distance relaionship and wanting some new things to do together while we're apart. This site is a great example, where two people can draw together on the same page. Anything remotely like this would be great. posted by twirlypen at 3:46 AM PST - 7 comments

I'm trying to find comfortable accommodation for an all male party of 10-12 men (it's a stag do) somewhere in England. It should preferably be self contained (i.e. not shared with any other parties), preferably rural, comfortable, and not expensive (no more than around £50/head/night). [more inside]posted by chill at 2:00 AM PST - 6 comments

March 17

How come we never hear about nude ghosts? Clothes always seem to go into the spirit world in anecdote and popular culture. Is this a reflection of society's taboos, or do ghost believers have an explanation? posted by shannymara at 10:52 PM PST - 17 comments

Of all the organizations, why is it the American Psychological Association that sets style guidelines? (I know there are others, such as the MLA.) [more inside]posted by IndigoRain at 9:52 PM PST - 22 comments

In America, there's a trend towards making the English language more gender-neutral. However, it seems that English is already one of the world's more androgynous languages. Is there an effort to make other languages more gender-neutral, or is it just American English? posted by Afroblanco at 7:37 PM PST - 50 comments

Hotmail and gmail. How do I get my saved hotmail messages over to gmail while still maintaining the original sender as the sender (since if I just forwarded them my hotmail address would replace the original sender's when they appear in gmail)? posted by Mave_80 at 5:32 PM PST - 3 comments

I currently run Photoshop CS (not CS2) on an 1GHz iBook G4. I find it performs well enough. Will Photoshop CS running on an Intel iMac under Rosetta feel a) agonizingly slower, b) about the same, or c) somewhat faster? [more inside]posted by shaneflyer at 3:24 PM PST - 17 comments

IE CSS Bug #65536: This page works fine in a real browser, but breaks in IE6. The boxes containing "Article 1" and "Article 2" should be to the right of the menu, but instead the text wraps around, and the black border stretches out as if the menu wasn't there. Please hope me. Here's the CSS. posted by signal at 3:23 PM PST - 11 comments

TVFilter: I caught the tail end of a reality show on the Discovery Channel and noticed a continuity person in the credits. Continuity? On a reality show? [more inside]posted by chrominance at 3:07 PM PST - 15 comments

I need an unpowered USB hub with the max number of ports available, for cheap. What is the max number of ports possible, and where might I find such a doozie? [more inside]posted by vanoakenfold at 12:15 PM PST - 10 comments

I'm thinking about buying a new car in the next year. I live in Seattle, Washington, where the sales tax is about 8.8%, but I visit Oregon frequently, where there is no sales tax. Would there be any drawbacks to buying the car in Oregon to avoid the sales tax? I would still register and insure it in Washington. posted by matildaben at 11:44 AM PST - 18 comments

Constructing vegetable beds for a community garden: I have no idea what I'm doing. Can any carpenters out there give me feedback on the designs of our current beds (see more inside), insights into alternative and cheaper-to-construct designs, or point me to resources that will teach me a bit more about carpentry so I can figure this stuff out myself? [more inside]posted by schroedinger at 11:22 AM PST - 30 comments

At what point in time did computers go from being something the nerds used to something all the cool kids used? I'm asking specifically about high school age and below. [more inside]posted by bondcliff at 8:42 AM PST - 55 comments

Today is St. Patrick's day. Is it only a holiday for catholic Irish? In NYC, the big 5th Avenue parade is run by a Catholic Org. (thereby prohibiting gays), but is labeled as an "Irish Pride" Parade, but we never hear about the protestant side of the Irish? [more inside]posted by Duck_Lips at 8:32 AM PST - 40 comments

Is there a program that will download websites that include dynamic table functionality? For example, if a website has statistical information on all 50 states (e.g., most government websites) and, by inputting the names of, say 3 states (plus vehicle data) you get a screen that compares car insurance rates in those states for the car in question. My goal is to be able to download such a site and browse it offline in instances where I can't connect to the web. posted by zephyrbill at 8:30 AM PST - 6 comments

This is my first year playing fantasy baseball with some friends. I am looking for some tools to automate player analysis. I have heard of a program that will give you the next best available player as players are being drafted. Any ideas? posted by tirebouchon at 8:09 AM PST - 3 comments

Belated Oscars question: In this age of political correctness and gender-neutrality, why are there still gender-based Academy Award categories? [more inside]posted by beagle at 7:36 AM PST - 22 comments

I'm addicted to running. I've injured myself. I'm forcing myself to take a couple days off. How do I speed up healing--because come hell or high water I'm going to be back at it on Monday (provided I can restrain myself). [more inside]posted by sourwookie at 6:50 AM PST - 26 comments

I need to create a public information display system. Its only purpose will be to play a looping 10-30 minute video on a 27-32" NTSC display. It will be installed in a traveling exhibit. The whole thing needs to be durable, and I would prefer to forgo using a DVD player or anything with portable media or moving parts (including hard drives). I am wondering if there are any solid state play back devices. Something small that the attendant would only need to power on and press play. Anyone know if such a thing exists and where I could find it. [more inside]posted by squink at 6:37 AM PST - 6 comments

PHP/AJAX: Say I have a form with 3 SELECT's - country, state/province, city. I'm looking for a something that will update the SELECT's from the server using AJAX if possible, but will also degrade to the non-AJAX version for people that have JavaScript disabled. Can anyone recommend a PHP library that can do that? posted by Sharcho at 6:23 AM PST - 7 comments

Using Open Office 2.0, I accidentally saved and closed a document as a .txt. Unfortunately, this wiped out all formatting, and more importantly, footnotes. How can I undo this? [more inside]posted by duende at 3:03 AM PST - 5 comments

I have hardware. Servers, to be precise. A stack of them. Taking up space. What's the best way to get rid of them while getting something in return? Charity, and if so, who? Or selling them, and who's buying? [more inside]posted by SkelPaff at 2:13 AM PST - 16 comments

I've just discovered the fantastic Neutral Milk Hotel and, after some investigation, found that they're part of the Elephant 6 collective. There's a lot of bands in that - where to start investigating further? What's really worth a listen? posted by TheDonF at 12:34 AM PST - 31 comments

I would like to start developing programs/apps for Apple's Mac OSX, I have no experience at all with anything like this. Nor do I have any knowledge of the terminology or tools used, please help me work my way up from the very bottom. Including tutorials for beginners or anything you would think help me start my journey into the unknown. A couple of examples of the type of programs I am inspired by are Clutter and Noise. Both for OSX. Let me know if you need anymore information from me. Thanks! posted by Building at 12:18 AM PST - 28 comments

March 16

I've recently taken to writing poetry (or more specifically, taken to writing poetry I feel comfortable reciting in public) and I am looking for somewhere to expose myself. [more inside]posted by punch_the_mayor at 11:55 PM PST - 4 comments

I have a printer on my MacMini and I want to be able to use it for print requests from my Windows XP laptop. I was able to get it working using CUPS and the MacMini's IP address, but the problem is that since the Mac is on a DHCP wireless network, the IP address can (and has) changed. Now printing from the laptop won't work. How do I identify the Mac from the laptop without using an IP address? [more inside]posted by ShooBoo at 10:43 PM PST - 8 comments

I keep finding live flying bugs in my windows and lights and our house is very tight and doors open only rarely. I can't tell if this is normal springtime bug populations or if I have an infestation in my attic. When is it time to call the exterminator? [more inside]posted by mathowie at 9:09 PM PST - 10 comments

I am trying to internationally insure my Camera and Computer equipment but I keep getting turned down because I tell the insurance person that it' for business. What do I do? [more inside]posted by Hands of Manos at 8:19 PM PST - 4 comments

I am looking for blogs written by low-wage, night-shift employees (such as convenience store clerks) who use their blogs to chronicle interesting experiences from their working lives. Any suggestions? posted by jayder at 7:35 PM PST - 20 comments

My fiance and I have been talking about having a baby. We will be getting married in 2 months and have talked about having the baby within a year of the wedding. We feel that we are ready for the responsibility, however we're unsure of what to do about insurance. Neither of us has insurance of any kind what-so-ever at this point, but we would like to get some after our wedding. I'm looking for recommendations on health insurance that will cover the upcoming planned pregnancy. Thanks in advance! posted by anonymous at 6:03 PM PST - 28 comments

KeyboardFilter: Enter and down-arrow are funky after last night's water spillage accident w/ the laptop. Everything else is dandy so far. Now what? [more inside]posted by timnyc at 5:04 PM PST - 7 comments

In relation to this fpp about food and mental health, I have recently been getting drastic bouts of hunger, confusion and depression when I eat late (even an hour later than usual), or don't eat enough at a meal. These bouts last about 3 hours, and once they start even stuffing myself won't help. Has anyone had this, know what it could be, or know how I could try to solve it? [more inside]posted by purple_frogs at 4:54 PM PST - 15 comments

Where is there a cool arcade in Atlanta? I'm just looking to waste some money on arcade games... Thoughts?
Oh, and, err, some cool places to go tomorrow for St. Patty's would be nice, too. Anything cool but not too out of control? posted by phaedrus441 at 4:10 PM PST - 8 comments

Upgrade filter: I'm looking for a new motherboard/CPU combo and a SATA-RAID "solution" I want to spend $300-$400. What hardware should I get? [more inside]posted by Paris Hilton at 3:55 PM PST - 26 comments

When I'm writing an email using Gmail, every draft version of it ends up on my BlackBerry because of the autosave feature. If I take my time writing, this can add up to an insane number of drafts popping up, and drives me batty. How can I prevent this from happening without switching POP access on and off manually, and without disabling autosave? posted by saffron at 3:41 PM PST - 3 comments

MathFilter: What are the odds? I have exactly 5,115 mp3's on my iPod. I was just sitting here at work listening to it shuffle through stuff. "Me, Myself, and I" by De La Soul came on, THEN when that was over it was immediately followed by "Freak" by George Clinton. The De La Soul track samples heavily from "Freak". What are the mathematical odds that the next track in a random playlist would be the sample source of the previous song? posted by letterneversent at 2:35 PM PST - 34 comments

Need a URL link checker which can just take in a txt list of URLs and just see if they are active or inactive.
All of the link checkers I downloaded are geared towards taking in a URL and then traversing all the links and anchors within that URL and generating reports on everything.
What I have is a simple list of websites on the internet (not my own pages within my domain or site).. all I need is for it to tell me whether they still exist or not. Thats all.
Can anyone recommend something? posted by postergeist at 2:17 PM PST - 8 comments

We have just moved into a rental condo. The laundry area is equipped for a 110V gas clothes dryer. Of course, ours is an electric dryer requiring 240 Volts. We want to have the outlet converted to the correct voltage, but I'd like to know whether we should expect to pay for this before contacting our new landlord, and how much it will cost. [more inside]posted by moira at 1:49 PM PST - 6 comments

Does anyone know a colloquial Spanish (/dialect irrelevant) term equivalent to 'Tripping," as in "being under the influence of a hallucinogenic drug?" posted by gnomicPerfect at 1:11 PM PST - 17 comments

PhotoshopFilter - I need to bring two map images together, one of a map, the other of a map overlay that was traced on top of the map. Is there a trick to somehow automate this in photoshop? [more inside]posted by garfy3 at 12:49 PM PST - 10 comments

I have been promoted within my company to run customer service. I have worked here for two years and have divided myself between customer service and operations. I am now going to be a leader in a department where I have been a near equal among my coworkers. Any tips on making this transition? Another challenge is that I am 24 and happen to be half as old of the people that I will be leading. Any adivce on how to make my mark as a leader and not allow age to get in the way. I'd like to hear from young leaders as well as anyone who has had experience with a younger boss.
Thanks for your input! posted by ieatwords at 11:29 AM PST - 13 comments

I'm being told that cesium and strontium are by-products of the enrichment of plutonium, which is a step beyond what takes place in a uranium-enrichment plant. True or false? posted by tizzie at 10:44 AM PST - 8 comments

All of the guides to life planning or career management start from the assumption that the individual knows what they want or at least what they like. I have no idea what I want. What can I do to discover or rediscover direction? [more inside]posted by Tolerant at 9:20 AM PST - 23 comments

Outlook 2003 journal. Is there a way to have an action performed on specific journal events ? I would like to have an email sent to my inbox for every phone journal entry as it gets created, is it possible to have Outlook 2003 perform such action ? posted by selfsck at 8:31 AM PST - 1 comment

My little brother just announced that he's seriously considering joining the National Guard. Help my family and I either a) discourage him, or b) make peace with his decision. [more inside]posted by TurkishGolds at 7:06 AM PST - 41 comments

Particularly stubborn infestation of dialer.gbdial (or something very similar) on a Windows XP machine - any suggestions, either of solutions or reliable anti-malware forums where I can post logs? [more inside]posted by terpsichoria at 6:49 AM PST - 6 comments

What do you know about Teeline shorthand and about training in the U.S.? It seems to be more popular in the U.K. I would like to use it for taking notes and doing interviews. posted by sholdens12 at 6:45 AM PST - 6 comments

I am a journalist who sometimes needs to send article clips to prospective employers. I have scanned the newspaper articles and saved them as jpeg files. Is there a program that will allow me to convert the jpeg files to plain text? The jpeg files are too large to e-mail, and I really just need to send the text of the articles. posted by zembla3 at 6:16 AM PST - 15 comments

I'm trying to create a website and am using typepad as a quick and low-cost alternative to full custom design. I'm not overly thrilled with the range of color/font/layout options, however. Does anyone know if any other blog services offer greater variety? posted by dearleader at 5:18 AM PST - 6 comments

While abroad last fall, I had really awesome sandwhiches. It seemed like every pub we ate in had a brie-and-bacon-on-some-sort-of-bread available. Now that I'm back in the states, I want to know where to find English bacon, or how to substitute for it. [more inside]posted by Medieval Maven at 5:00 AM PST - 11 comments

I want to make a compilation CD for my mum for mother's day (next sunday). Theme: Women singers. Genres: country (about which I know very little), MOR pop/rock, and classic singers like Patsy Cline and Dusty Springfield. There is, of course [more inside]posted by handee at 4:17 AM PST - 31 comments

Please help me find an affordable cookery (cooking) class (course) in London. I have loads of free time in May, April and June, due to exams and I'd like to improve my cooking skills. [more inside]posted by k8t at 12:26 AM PST - 2 comments

I just heard a great track on the radio, it was an Indian pop piece, of the sort of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan style. The band or artist went by the name of `fundamental *something*'.
The announcer mentioned that he had in some way worked with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, but I couldn't hear it properly.
Any ideas? I'd love to find more of this work. posted by tomble at 7:17 PM PST - 4 comments

How could the film "Brazil" have been made with only $15 million? Was that amount of money thought of as exorbitant at the time of its production (1984)? [more inside]posted by jimmy at 6:48 PM PST - 16 comments

About six years ago I spent a fair amount of cash on a good quality 100% linen sheet,pillowcases and duvet cover.The sheet and duvet cover are now worn out,the sheet in the center and the duvet cover at the top.I machine washed them regularly at 60° C with a standard non-biological detergent.I was under the impression that good linen lasted a lifetime.Do I have unrealistic expectations or am I doing something wrong? posted by Dr.Pill at 6:14 PM PST - 11 comments

I have a tomato that sat, neglected, on a countertop for longer than it probably should have. Instead of beginning to molder and rot, however, it began to sprout! It is now shooting off several little baby tomato plants. How can I best get these to some dirt and encourage them to live rather than to die a horrible, desiccated death at the hands of bad soil and my brown thumb? posted by kaseijin at 5:47 PM PST - 6 comments

If you owe a bunch of back child-support (14 years for the older child, three years for the second, two different women), are married to a woman you could take or leave (not the mother of either), have no custody of the children, have never met the second child, have had no contact with the first for the past ten years, would like to begin to become current with past due payments, would like a closer relationship with your children, don't want to go to jail, don't consider yourself to be someone having a strong job skill-set, are currently unemployed {leisurely, if not pleasantly, subject to the arbitrary whims of said spouse [of which include no requirements for earning an income (lots of time to play video games, watch movies, and think)]}, don't believe you can support yourself alone with the work that you believe you can find, are afraid to find a job, move out, lose the maximum in state-mandated garnishments from each check, fail again and end up living with/under someone else, would like to learn and travel, wouldn't mind medical, dental, vision and life insurance, could use a retirement fund; would enlisting in the US Army be a strategically effective next action? [more inside]posted by airguitar at 5:11 PM PST - 47 comments

Framing Tape Filter: I've started to frame my own prints/posters, and have a frame that's slightly larger than the print. The print slips, I need to keep it in place... [more inside]posted by zenorbital at 5:08 PM PST - 4 comments

How to fully protect an Adobe pdf? I want to post an exam temporarily on the net for my class, and I'm using Adobe Pro 7.0's security functions to disable editing and printing functions (so students can't easily print and circulate the exam). The doc can still be saved, however. Adobe forums seem to have no idea how to disable the SAVE pdf function.... [more inside]posted by rexruff at 4:53 PM PST - 32 comments

Does anyone know where I can find a decent MIDI version of the battle music from the Star Trek episode "Amok Time"? I would like to make it my default ring tone, and I can't find it anywhere! posted by Jenesta at 4:51 PM PST - 2 comments

I just found out I have Smitfraud-C on my computer. I'm not sure how long it's been there. According to one website it's a keylogger among other things. I just removed it but should I cancel all my credit cards? posted by rileyray3000 at 3:57 PM PST - 12 comments

My computer keeps overheating. But that's not the problem I need help with. I can't figure out how to remove one of the screws from the case because it's stripped. What can I do? [more inside]posted by Kattullus at 3:41 PM PST - 16 comments

Transferring MiniDV contents to VHS. Red/White/Yellow component cables hooked up to the OUT from the camera and into the IN of the VCR (SVHS deck). I push play on the camera and record on the VCR. Nothing is recorded but static, why? posted by packphour at 2:01 PM PST - 10 comments

At work we use Bonsai and FishEye to browse our source control tree. Bonsai isn't that great of a product and FishEye costs a lot and is overkill for my needs, anyone know of any other good tools in this space? [more inside]posted by aspo at 1:58 PM PST - 2 comments

Pros and cons of homeschooling. While I never thought I would even consider this, my wife and I are facing the possibility that we may homeschool our daughter. [more inside]posted by tom_g at 1:29 PM PST - 48 comments

my cell phone broke right after the warranty period ended. has anyone had any luck getting a new cellphone or break on their fees, when their cellphone broke shortly after the warranty expired? how did you do it? [more inside]posted by dthaspaz at 1:09 PM PST - 6 comments

What type of open source software should I use to disseminate information I have collected over the years?
I have a HUGE series of links on a topic that I would like to start sharing with friends and the net as a whole. I am having trouble deciding what to use to post it: CMS (like PHPNuke or Joomla), Wiki, Blog (like WordPress or MT), or just a bookmark manager (like SiteBar). [more inside]posted by JLobster at 11:40 AM PST - 4 comments

Help us party like it's 1974! A friend is throwing a 1974 party (she was born in that year) and my partner and I would like to bring a gift to the party relevant to that year. We've already drawn up an extensive list of '74 references (see inside) but are really missing out on ideas for food and drink. [more inside]posted by unclemonty at 10:32 AM PST - 39 comments

Have you attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business Summer Institute for General Management? How was your experience? If you are an employer in the financial sector, how much more inclined would you be to consider a job applicant with a non-business degree who had attended the SI? posted by fourstar at 9:46 AM PST - 0 comments

What are the components of dating? I have tried to thinkl of all the stuff that are included when two people actually 'date'. In a nutshell, to me it is is as easy as 'two people (any combo) in a committed friendship with physical/sexual aspect included. Basically, friends with benefits in a commited relationship...(more) [more inside]posted by TwilightKid at 8:50 AM PST - 27 comments

What would be the coolest, weirdest, quirkiest places to visit in the northeast/mid-Atlantic? Could be towns, museums, roadside attractions, etc... bonuses for areas that might take more than an hour or two to absorb. Thanks. posted by shivohum at 8:21 AM PST - 24 comments

We have a family of turkeys that has lived in our neighborhood for the past three years. They are active summer through early fall and then are not seen until next year. They leave no tracks in the snow during the winter. The full family of twelve walked through our backyard yesterday. The are much bigger than they were last fall, obviously well fed, and we can now distinguish sexes in the family. How do turkeys in New England survive winter? How long does a turkey family stay together. Do flocks contain more than one family? What is a good source of information on wild turkeys as a social unit? posted by Raybun at 7:25 AM PST - 10 comments

I have a website with a feedback form script. Suddenly, over the past week, I've been getting a lot of weird, spam-like mail sent to me via this script. (It doesn't actually sell products--it just contains gibberish, of the sort that might be used to confuse spam filters.) I'm more worried that my feedback form is being used to spam other people. How can I figure out if this is the case? And either way, how can I stop abuse of my feedback form? [more inside]posted by yankeefog at 6:40 AM PST - 11 comments

So a few years ago I bought this really awesome pair of shoes at a thrift store. It was serendipity - they were the perfect style , size and price! Now, alas, I have worn them out. It has been impossible to find another pair! Dear Mefites, can you help a girl find another perfect pair of kicks? [more inside]posted by denimflavored at 4:54 AM PST - 8 comments

I am making a speech on product development in tourism, specifically heritage tourism today, and it occured to me that an interesting aspect to include was different spending habits of different age groups. [more inside]posted by stormygrey at 4:40 AM PST - 5 comments

I've managed to screw up Terminal on OS X. I chose File | New Command and checked Run command inside a shell, then with the window active I went to Terminal | Window Settings... and then clicked on Use Settings as Defaults. Ever since then, a File | New Shell will just open a window running the same command as the one that I did the Use Settings as Defaults on. How can I fix this and reset Terminal's configuration? I'm using OS X 10.4.5 on an Intel Mac mini, if it makes a difference. posted by EatenByAGrue at 3:05 AM PST - 6 comments

I started thinking about what I guess you'd call "Urban Legend Rules of Thumb", The kind of stuff people (especially teenagers) make up and pass on to answer nagging questions like "How can I tell if my boobs are saggy?" and "How big can an age difference in a relationship be before it's creepy?". I'd like to hear some more. [more inside]posted by crabintheocean at 11:07 PM PST - 51 comments

I'm having trouble resolving a single website. My home internet connection in general is fine, but one website recently hasn't been coming up with anything. When we try it from work it shows up fine. [more inside]posted by sudasana at 9:57 PM PST - 10 comments

Long after they've become obsolete, I'm still using my old Nikon Coolpix 995. I'd like to upgrade, but I've got a few amateurish requirements for my next camera. [more inside]posted by soviet sleepover at 9:26 PM PST - 9 comments

I'm trying to keep up with WordPress upgrades (2.0.2 just came out yesterday, and I was only halfway through upgrading 30 installs to 2.0.1!), but I swear there must be an easier way than the way I'm doing it. [more inside]posted by pzarquon at 8:02 PM PST - 11 comments

Why is Blackstrap Molasses so high in minerals? Extended research (both internet and olde-fashioned) have failed to answer this question - I even emailed a molasses producer but didn't get a reply.
One theory is that it has something to do with the equipment it's processed on, another that it has to do with how concentrated it is, but so far no hard facts. posted by dorcas at 7:41 PM PST - 10 comments

Attention codebreakers! For a friend:
A friend of mine gave me this "riddle". I can't figure it out. Now there is a chance that they are just messing with me and it is complete gibberish.“lwa hy ou wi Tll I di a w h at g ys y”[more inside]posted by attercoppe at 6:38 PM PST - 36 comments

ApartmentLeaseFilter: I live in one of several complexes operated by one company. We're moving out because of lack of the incompetence of said company, help me out of the last month of rent, either by being a pain-in-the-ass, or legally. [more inside]posted by hatsix at 4:35 PM PST - 12 comments

I work in an office with several not-for-profits share a high speed internet connection. My internet connection on my Mac Book seemed slow, so I tried the online test at Speakeasy. (I disabled the Airport connection so that I could test Ethernet) I ran the test several times and always found I had around a 400 K connection. Wireless, same test, circa 150 K. So I asked my collegue to run the same test from his Dell desktop---he got almost 1200K across several tests. I thought maybe it was the jack in my office, so I tried yanking out the plug and trying it in my collegue's office with another Dell desktop--she got 1200k--I got 400. I thought it might have been the MBP, so I dug out a Dell laptop--guess what--the most it would get in any office location was 400K. Same for a Mac mini that's on the same network. Now here's the thing--if I take that same MBP laptop home I get 3000K over my cable modem.
Why would some computers get higher throughputs than others?
They have an outside vendor administer the network and they seem to have disabled ping and traceroute.
I started to wonder if maybe they limit bandwidth to the IP address, but all I really do during the day is work in Basecamp and reply to emails with an occassional look at Bloglines. Any ideas for the MeFi community about why this might happen and how I can intelligently describe the problem to the network admin so it doesn't sound like I'm nuts? posted by teddyb109 at 4:30 PM PST - 4 comments

I used to concentrate during lectures, seminars, and meetings by taking copious notes on what was said. While this worked well, I now have a wrist injury that makes doing so undesirable. What are some good ways to keep concentrating? posted by grouse at 3:44 PM PST - 19 comments

Specifically I'm looking for the tendency, I believe this is correct, for practitioners in a domain (e.g., surgeons, race car drivers, whatever) to become prone to errors after seven (7) years, owing to perceived expertise, complacence, and that this becomes a particularly dangerous time. Any leads GREATLY appreciated! posted by adamrobinson at 1:23 PM PST - 2 comments

Does anyone have a good mailing list company to recommend for a big weekly e-mail newsletter?
I send a plaintext e-mail newsletter to a mailing list of 25,000 or so double-opt-in subscribers - mailing them 10-15k of plaintext every week or two - and my current host of several years - Sparklist - is giving me billing trouble. My hosting fee used to be less $100 a month and now they're charging $500 or more.
I'm looking for a new company to send out the list, give me a control panel to add and remove subscribers, and give a price closer to $100/month than $500. [more inside]posted by mark7570 at 12:40 PM PST - 9 comments

[book/other media recommendations]: I'm researching the sexualization of children, found in abusive situations as well as in less obvious contexts like child beauty pageants. Has there been a particular book/movie/situation that most eloquently laid out this topic for you? [more inside]posted by ibeji at 12:30 PM PST - 17 comments

Camera & Laptop insurance? I came across a thread that begins to answer my question, but doesn't quite provide a solution. My renters insurance will not allow me a rider to cover personal property outside my home, so I'm looking to buy a policy that will cover only my gear in the event of theft or damage. Recommendations for a specific agency or policy would be very welcome. [more inside]posted by aladfar at 11:43 AM PST - 5 comments

Just bought a Renault Laguna 1,9Tdi Diesel. My first Diesel and it has six gears - I am not used to the 6th gear - not sure it makes much of a difference between 5th gear - should I always be aiming to get it into 6th gear - is this to do with fuel efficiency? posted by calvinorr at 11:35 AM PST - 10 comments

My wife is thinking about going back to school to become a nurse. She has a BFA and is a fairly high level manager at a wireless company. We had a close friend die 6 months ago and she as felt a great need to do something more meaningful to her. We live in the NYC area. Is there a "best" nursing school local to NY? What sort of classes will she need to have completed to get into nursing school? posted by Shanachie at 11:26 AM PST - 3 comments

Does anyone have any info on Sheila (Turner) Seed? I need to clear the copyrights for some of her material for a work project, and am having the damndest luck tracking any info down... (more info on who she is and what I already know inside) [more inside]posted by deadtrouble at 11:16 AM PST - 7 comments

My mother, who is in her 50s, suffers from hearing loss. Two years ago my parents (who are both retired and live on a limited income) scraped together $3000 to buy her a set of hearing aids. They just stopped working, and of course the warranty was only for one year. So she is in the market for a new set. [more inside]posted by Ostara at 11:14 AM PST - 4 comments

I'm about to start attending college again after a year-long break. However, I'm planning on going back to classes full-time to finish up my degree and am looking for a way to work from home and make enough money to pay rent. Any ideas? [more inside]posted by myodometer at 10:25 AM PST - 8 comments

Please recommend some good personal-finance related web sites. I'm looking for sites with good information on all aspects of personal finance and responsible money use. Most of what I've found is focused on investing, though, and on macroeconomics. I'm not interested in the Big Picture. I want sites that focus on the Small Pictures: dealing with debt, saving for the future, finding bargains, etc. Think Your Money or Your Life, but in web form. Big sites, little sites, weblogs, print magazines — I don't care, so long as it's focused on personal finance. Bonus points for sites with RSS feeds.[more inside]posted by jdroth at 9:00 AM PST - 21 comments

Residents of Vacaville CA 95696? Can anyone confirm (or deny) that Belder Street in Vacaville actually exists? The company I run (based in the UK) has received a business enquiry that looks a bit suspect. House number in the 400s. All maps searched return "location does not exist". Grateful for any help. (No more inside!) posted by JtJ at 8:47 AM PST - 17 comments

I have been asked to find one page from Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. Specifically, the page where the "Acute Pulmonary Responses to Toxic Exposures" section begins (maybe page 1906?). I have exhausted all libraries in my area. This is needed today, so I don't have time to order the book and overnight it. posted by ajr at 8:07 AM PST - 6 comments

StupidQuestionFilter: I have a disposable camera, I would like to open the camera up and scan the negatives into a computer. Is that possible, or is some processing necessary before the negatives are physically reminiscent of the pictures you took... I know nothing about cameras. Should I just spend 5 dollars to get them developed elsewhere or is the DIY route possible? [more inside]posted by cloeburner at 6:35 AM PST - 15 comments

I turn 20 in April. I figure if I'm lucky, what with advances in healthcare, I might just make it to 2100, when I'll be 114. What can I do to get further into the future than that? So far I've come up with (perhaps in order of likelihood) cryogenics, genetic modification, becoming a cyborg, and a faster than light round trip (time dilation). Any more? posted by Orange Goblin at 1:37 AM PST - 31 comments

A friend has a painting by Jock Frater, dated 1920 titled "Diana Lang". We know who the artist was, but are intrigued to learn more about the subject. Anyone with expertise on glam socialites of Australia in the Roaring Twenties in the house? posted by Pericles at 12:56 AM PST - 5 comments

Work gave me a 1GB keydrive for carrying personal files. What I'd adore is using it to carry around a rescue disk such as one of the many tiny bootable Linux distributions. [more inside]posted by Mozai at 6:46 PM PST - 11 comments

Can WinTV PVR USB 2.0 MCE Edition be used with Win 2K? When I purchased it I did not realize I was getting the MCE Edition which apparently does not include the MPEG codecs and has an external IR sensor for use with Windows XP Media Center Edition. The non-MCE version is supposed to work with Win 2K. Should I return this or can I get it to work fully with Win2K ? posted by flyby22 at 6:25 PM PST - 5 comments

My boss has decided to repaint the interior of our office building, which is nice. However, she is having it done during office hours - I'm 10 weeks pregnant, we have someone with allergies and someone with asthma. Is this odd? Isn't this usually done outside of office hours so we don't have to sniff paint fumes for 8 hours? [more inside]posted by marajade at 6:13 PM PST - 29 comments

Do you have an LCD projector recommendation for a small, nonprofit? Yes, this question has been asked before. However, I figured it was worth asking again since it's been over a year since it was last posed to AskMeFi and there might be some new models available on the market. All we will be using the projector for is monthly PowerPoint presentations for no more than 100 people. We would prefer to buy it new for under $1k. Depending on the fabulousness of the projector, we might spring for a slightly more expensive one. Even if you don't have a specific recommendation, please let me know if there are any features I should look for. Thanks! posted by zharptitsa at 5:05 PM PST - 6 comments

Is there an easy, free way for me to figure out which country a website visitor is coming from? Or more specifically, if a user is not in the US? [more inside]posted by gramcracker at 4:59 PM PST - 9 comments

I went to see Ben Folds here in Milwaukee last night, and by about halfway through the main act, I was in serious pain, just from standing there. My feet, especially my heels, were killing, and my lower back was stiff and uncomfortable as well.
My question is: Is there any way to avoid this? [more inside]posted by joshjs at 3:37 PM PST - 11 comments

I recently, out of curiosity, tried the public transportation systems in Los Angeles and Orange County, CA. I know that you can’t seriously depend on buses to get around – most buses run every 20-30 minutes, not to mention the waiting time for connection. Ok, I can accept that. But what puzzles me is that there are so many “unnecessary” stops, a lot of which are installed BOTH before AND after the traffic lights at the same intersection. Twice as many stops double the travelling time. It just seems to me such a waste of resources and lack of efficiency. Are people not willing even to walk across the streets to catch the buses or is this some kind of community service issue? Any input will be appreciated. posted by dy at 3:12 PM PST - 22 comments

I'm trying to burn a backup that has a ton of files with Japanese names. I'm using Windows XP SP2 and Nero 6.6, and anytime I try to create a DVD with any of the ISO (or UDF) settings it forces the filenames to their short filenames, such as "Docume~1". Anyone know how I can record this? posted by LukeyBoy at 3:11 PM PST - 11 comments

How much would it cost to raise a 900-square foot house a few feet & give it a new foundation? Looking at 1912 Craftsman in Seattle that is a good deal but would only work if we could add some space, and the attic doesn't seem tall enough to add dormers. Just looking for a rough idea of what to expect. [more inside]posted by _sirmissalot_ at 3:06 PM PST - 17 comments

Where's the best place to get furniture online? I'm looking to get a cheap couch/futon contraption for around 150-200 dollars, and so far I'm looking at kmart.com. I don't know where else to look. posted by petah at 2:06 PM PST - 14 comments

My eyesight has always been great, and in general I see just fine. As a general rule, the world is not blurry and when I look at something, whether it be 1 foot or 20 (or 100) feet away, I see what I expect to see. I've never worn glasses. [more inside]posted by jaded at 2:03 PM PST - 20 comments

Have you recently bought a great printer? - tell me about it.
I've been asked to do some research for a friend who needs to buy a new printer - and I'm swimming in data.
The main criteria are: low-to-medium price; colour/black & white (as opposed to some of the amazing deals on b&w only laser printers around); reasonably priced consumables (this may be the trickiest part to assess); reliability.
We're in the UK - any online deals have to be accessible to this country. TIA! posted by dash_slot- at 11:58 AM PST - 31 comments

Back in 2004 there was some speculation about the bulge on Bush's jacket, that started on the internet and eventually got the attention of the mainstream media. I'm looking for similiar examples, where something that started as talk on the internet eventually got the attention of the more mainstream media (such as TV and newspapers). posted by cheerleaders_to_your_funeral at 11:46 AM PST - 15 comments

Is there any wiki software that will allow a moderator to approve edits before they are posted? If so, how difficult would it be to set up and maintain? [more inside]posted by hazyjane at 11:26 AM PST - 10 comments

Does anyone know of any good modern books about China? Nonficiton preferably, along the lines of Maximum Bombay, but for Beijing or Shanghai? Stuff that reveals the nature of the place as it undergoes rapid change... posted by jgballard at 11:02 AM PST - 8 comments

I'm attending the IAFA conference in Fort Lauderdale this week. However, I've never been to this city and I have a few days to kill there once the conference is over. Obviously there's the beach and plenty of clubs, but can anyone point some hidden treasures? posted by clockworkjoe at 10:41 AM PST - 6 comments

QuoteFilter: For my mum's seventy*coughcoughcough*th birthday this year, I found a bunch of postcards from her hometown in England. I'm putting them into a book, and I'd like a nice quotation or something to write in nice script on the outside. Something about roots or birthplaces or something, and amusing Oscar-Wilde-style or touching-but-not-saccharine would be preferred to glurgey-sugary-weepy. posted by biscotti at 10:06 AM PST - 7 comments

I have had eczema all my life, but it has never been as bad as when I’ve lived in Boston, where I live now. I’m appealing to a small subgroup of people on this site, but I’m hoping I can appeal to people with sensitive skin and eczema who live in some of the places where I’m considering moving [more inside]posted by abbyladybug at 9:38 AM PST - 27 comments

My parents have lived in the same house close to 30 years (my entire life). They just sold it, and are moving into a large condo in a month and a half. I want to put something together for my family to remember the old place and make this transition easier. [more inside]posted by bibbit at 9:23 AM PST - 12 comments

Lonnie Brooks, Bayou Lighting, Voodoo Daddy. At 4:13, he refers to the "big black snake" as a "whobedup". What is this word, whobedup? How do I properly spell it? posted by cior at 8:12 AM PST - 10 comments

Does my router hate AJAX? When I access Google Maps (or certain other sites that make use of similar technology) it consistently triggers network freezes and delays on my home network. [more inside]posted by Songdog at 8:01 AM PST - 9 comments

I've noticed many hispanic youths in my neighborhood making use of their cellphone's "walkie talkie" feature. I have seen only a handful blacks doing this, and no whites or asians.
Also, I've noticed several whites using their cellphones in a "hands free" fashion, employing some sort of earpiece/microphone. However, I have seen no blacks, asians, or hispanics doing this.
So my question - are these real trends, or false conclusions based on my limited experience? posted by kenoshakid at 7:22 AM PST - 25 comments

I have constant skin outbreaks and I don't know why. Sometimes I will be clear for a week and sometimes I break out. I know it must have to do with what I'm eating but I usually keep fairly consistant on how I eat. [more inside]posted by Napierzaza at 6:27 AM PST - 20 comments

Runaway cars: After reading this recent story about a BMW that got stuck in gear with the accelerator jammed down, I don't understand why he didn't just turn the ignition off. Is it true that he'd have been left unable to steer? [more inside]posted by chrismear at 5:43 AM PST - 46 comments

My company needs to find a web filtering solution that can filter out pornography, gambling and all the other sites companies don't like people looking at when at work. Our main requirements are that we don't want to have to host or manage a server ourselves and that we need very clear activity reports. Anyone have any experience with suitable products, good or bad? [more inside]posted by dodgygeezer at 5:39 AM PST - 7 comments

Need an rss feed for flights from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette for Netvibes.com. Anybody know of a feed service or a way to work around getting it on the page? posted by daveed66 at 5:25 AM PST - 4 comments

Im a struggling illustrator/designer, but the goal is to simply figure out a way to draw stuff for a living. Im considering becomming a tattoo artist - more inside. [more inside]posted by Tryptophan-5ht at 5:15 AM PST - 11 comments

One of our PCs is having major problems at boot up, and when it does boot, does not recognize the slave drive hard disc. After working normally for a couple of house, it often goes to a blue screen with a “kernel_data_inpage_error” messages [more inside]posted by zaelic at 3:47 AM PST - 11 comments

What's the most convincing response (provide a link, that is) to This Crichton speech about global warming. I'm looking for arguments other than "scientific concensus". posted by Tlogmer at 12:53 AM PST - 11 comments

When I walk/hike for any length of time, my hands swell and fill with blood, turning bright red to purple. It's painful, and scares the hell out of my wife. What's going on? posted by jsteward at 8:51 PM PST - 11 comments

My mother is planning on retiring in a little over a year, and she is worried that she won't be able to fill her time. Her birthday is coming and I'd like to get her a book that discusses different jobs, hobbies, or activities that a retired person could do. [more inside]posted by billysumday at 6:37 PM PST - 9 comments

I've been happily (well, to various degrees) living my life as a lesbian (mostly of the soft-butch/butch) variety for many years. I think I might be genderqueer. Now what? [more inside]posted by anonymous at 5:36 PM PST - 15 comments

Can anyone tell me about the legal, practical steps of dealing with a person who dies, their dead body? I live in NYC but imagine the steps must be pretty similar all over the US and Europe too. [more inside]posted by nickyskye at 5:26 PM PST - 9 comments

My PC lags a bit on booting up. It's fine at first, my desktop comes on screen quickly and the start menu programs load normally. But then when the Windows Firewall and/or Norton Antivirus kick in--I guess the last on the start menu list--it locks up other programs for a full minute or so. I can click on icons, but double clicking doesn't do anything until the WF and Norton do their thing.
Anything I can tweak to get this lag to go away? [more inside]posted by zardoz at 4:56 PM PST - 15 comments

What happens when I put a glass peanut butter jar with peanut butter remnants in the recycle bin? Does it cause extra work for the recycle sorter? Or will it just pass through the process? [more inside]posted by 9000.68 at 4:22 PM PST - 25 comments

Ideas for a domain name for a site in a major metro area which will provide comprehensive and detailed information on what to do with your kids on any given day. [more inside]posted by crosten at 3:01 PM PST - 20 comments

In California, what are the steps that I should take to sell my totaled car to a dismantler? I want rid myself of all liability for the vehicle and get as much money as possible for the parts. [more inside]posted by |n$eCur3 at 11:18 AM PST - 3 comments

I accidentally spilled some water on my girlfriend's cell phone (a Motorola Razr), and it stopped working. I'd like to get her a new one to replace it, but there's a wrinkle: [more inside]posted by Johnny Assay at 10:19 AM PST - 13 comments

I just found one of these (not the receiver, just a controller) at a flea market for $1. Would it be possible to turn it into a substitute remote for this? [more inside]posted by ericbop at 9:16 PM PST - 2 comments

I am a 41 year old female, recently attracted to a man about a dozen years younger than me. It did not start out as an attraction, but a work relationship that turned into an attraction and featured a lot of mutual flirting. This man started showing up in my -for lack of a better word-psychic space, the part of my brain used to process creative ideas and artistic projects. He showed up as a tuning fork, which sent me on an internet search on just what a tuning fork is and does (I am not a musician). The effect his presence was having on me was stunning. It transcends mere attraction, it was, I believe, an anima projection (a term I found after leaving the employment situation where we both worked). There was a piece of me that started to unfold, expand, absorb, and just flowered. I felt amazing and beautiful creative and calm.
I left the job and therefore the daily interaction stopped. I did not see this man on my last day, and didn't hear from him. Two weeks after leaving the job, I sent him a note expressing my feelings and that whatever it was (pretty impossible to explain, really--"gee ,dude, I think you are my muse") felt important, and I have heard nothing. [more inside]posted by 45moore45 at 8:35 PM PST - 75 comments

I have an almost-14 year old chocolate lab, who collapsed about 6 weeks ago. They thought she had pancreatitis, but that was negative. In the course of events, they did an ultrasound and found an adrenal tumor, also a small nodule on her spleen. [more inside]posted by marciabcd at 8:12 PM PST - 11 comments

SongLyricsFilter: First line (and refrain throughout the song, I believe) is "Getting down to business." Sounds vaguely 70ish with a sort of pump-up beat. Google is getting me nowhere. Any ideas you may have are much appreciated. posted by zachlipton at 6:45 PM PST - 5 comments

DesigningPrintedFormsOnABudgetFilter: I'd like to design some forms to be printed to standard laser printer paper to assist capturing information taken from telephone calls at work (WinXP SP2 environment). [more inside]posted by planetthoughtful at 5:04 PM PST - 5 comments

When do students need to go to a library? I'm writing a lesson plan for teachers to use when teaching research to middle schoolers. Most kids probably figure the internet is the ultimate source for research, and wonder why anyone would bother going to the library. I'm trying to answer that question: this is what I have so far. [more inside]posted by carterk at 4:53 PM PST - 26 comments

I've been asked to identify magazines available in the United States, and Web sites in general, that cover Anime and Asian cinema. Problem is, I've virtually no knowledge of either subject. [more inside]posted by littleme at 2:33 PM PST - 9 comments

I would like to learn about an interesting aspect of history which is new to me. This could be broad ('Ancient Greece') or very specific ('Anarchists in the Ukraine in the Russian Revolution'), thematic ('the Victorian underworld and crime') or about a location ('Venice') - but I'd like to also know why your suggestion interests you so much. If you can recommend some good books on your suggested topic, that would be just perfect. [more inside]posted by reynir at 1:14 PM PST - 25 comments

I'd like to use Rasterbator to create a large wall decoration, glued onto thin MDF or plywood. I want to paint the MDF/plywood a dark colour first. What paper and/or glue should I use to make sure the dark paint colour doesn't bleed through the glued on papers? [more inside]posted by Kickstart70 at 10:49 AM PST - 9 comments

I need help getting access to a published paper on estuaries. My girlfriend needs it to work on a paper of hers. We've found everything else on various free sites, but this one we're having no luck. Since it's just one paper, I was hoping someone here was a subscriber to one of the sites it's at. (Specific details inside) [more inside]posted by inigo2 at 9:04 AM PST - 13 comments

My boyfriend got a notice in the mail that he owes $600 for two parking tickets from 2004. Though he doesn't think the city of Baltimore is just making up the original fines, this is the first he's heard of them or the penalties. The original fines add up to $84. Is there anything he can do to eliminate or reduce the penalties? [more inside]posted by Airhen at 9:03 AM PST - 5 comments

I'm taking a week-long trip to Barcelona, and have a 10-hour layover in Geneva on the way there (during the day). Any recommendations? [more inside]posted by kickingtheground at 8:59 AM PST - 7 comments

Does the re-purposing of the word "Nazi" in U.S. culture in recent years to mean generic-overzealous-rule-enforcement instead of Homicidal-Socialist-German-Workers-Party detract from the horror of the Holocaust and the other crimes perpetrated by actual Nazis?
Is the "Soup Nazi"-type usage of the word "Nazi" taking away the power of the word? If so, is that the right thing to do?
Is it causing greater estrangement in cultural relationships between the U.S. and Europeans?
How is the word "Nazi" used in your community/workplace/social circles? [more inside]posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:43 AM PST - 33 comments

How can I best avoid an IRS audit? My occupation may complicate things: I’m a professional in the adult entertainment industry with a job that is legal (but often perceived as illegal) and an entirely cash-based business. [more inside]posted by anonymous at 7:36 AM PST - 21 comments

A book author/publisher has found an image of mine on the net, and asked for permission to use it in their book. I would like to know if I should allow them to use it gratis, or ask for a fee? [more inside]posted by mule at 9:41 PM PST - 17 comments

I run Abyss Webserver, and of late.. sometimes when I try to rename/move/delete any folder within htdocs folder, it doesn't let me to. It says access denied. I try removing the read-only attrib, and it comes back. [more inside]posted by Devileyezz at 8:28 PM PST - 1 comment

Is there an equivalent of catnip for dogs? I used to love revving up my cat when I was a kid and watching her act silly after a few munches on the weed. My dog lumbers around and only gets jazzed up when there's a rolling ball or a squirrel or deer outside. That's fun to watch of course, but I'm looking for the silly stuff. Any suggestions? posted by terrier319 at 2:11 PM PST - 23 comments

A cafe on Geary St. in San Francisco enforces a $3.00 minimum purchase for bathroom use. Is this draconian policy against the law? What about in other cities -- is it illegal to refuse bathroom access to those who merely purchase $1.00 java? If so, what legal relief is possible? posted by inksyndicate at 1:13 PM PST - 45 comments

A few friends and I are kicking around starting a photo club, both to keep us shooting as well as to help each other with critiques and whatnot. [more inside]posted by nevercalm at 1:12 PM PST - 7 comments

Who owns the posts to Internet forums? I know someone who produced and acted in a one-woman show in which she "performed" weird stuff she found on Usenet. She claimed this was legal. Was it? [more inside]posted by grumblebee at 11:21 AM PST - 13 comments

I've often noticed that when confronted by a decision, some of us err on the side of not making a decision at all.
What is your personal philosophy when confronted by a decision, or how do you avoid avoiding making decisions? [more inside]posted by russmail at 11:19 AM PST - 18 comments